Kingdom Hearts III
by Word Jester
Summary: Dear Donald and Goofy, The darkness is gathering again, I fear we're already too late to stop it. We will need Sora's help once more. - The King P.S. Don't tell Minnie.
1. Disclaimer

DISCLAIMER: This goes without saying however I feel that it is my duty to inform all the readers that I do not own any of the characters or ideas from the Kingdom Hearts or Disney franchises, nor do I wish to seek any form of profit from this series. This story is merely for my (and hopefully your) enjoyment. I only own any original concepts that are not featured in the Disney or Kingdom Hearts franchise such as my original character Azami as well as my other characters that form the group the "Incompletes" as well as some of the concepts that till be mentioned throughout the series. Also, many of my descriptions of characters as well as worlds and other things can be attributed to the kingdom hearts wiki on . Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the series!

_**Preview: Dear Donald and Goofy,**_

_**I have taken off for Destiny Island to find Sora and Riku. I can't go into details but I can tell you that trouble is starting up again and I fear that we're going to need help from the Keyblade Master once more. The darkness is gathering once again and I don't know if we're already too late to stop it. Be careful until then and keep the castle safe….I fear that our enemy has access to our world. I'll be in touch soon.**_

_**The King O O**_

_** O**_


	2. Chapter 1

All was quite in the halls of the ruined castle a select few called home. Every so often a snore or mummer could be heard but for the most part it was quite…. the perfect time to go.

A lone figure silently slipped from their bed and trekked slowly towards the only window in the ruined room. The figure straddled the sill and cast a quick glance behind them at the other occupants in the room…..still sound asleep.

Without another moment of hesitation, the figure slipped out of the room and landed safely on the rocks below. Still being as quite as they could be, the figure conjured up a portal of darkness and hurried inside….vanishing from the spot they previously occupied.

**O O O O**

**O O **

The Castle was abuzz with chatter as the many servants rushed back and forth from various stations to see the all too familiar guest that arrived earlier that day. She had appeared just before daybreak and was discovered by the King himself. Few people of the castle saw the girl but they all knew she was there….there always was a particular feeling in the air whenever she decided to pay the castle a visit.

Only two residents of the castle appeared to be taking the news of the girl's arrival in a calm manner….however, everyone in the castle knew that it was only a façade. The form of a duck and dog trotted impatiently outside the doors leading into a room known as the Audience Chamber.

"What do you think it's about Donald?" the dog asked. The Captain of the Guard paced alongside his long time friend, chewing nervously on his lip. The dog had large black eyes and a set of large buck teeth. He wore a simple orange hat over his floppy black ears making three stray strands of hair stick up annoyingly from beneath the hat. He also wore a long sleeved sweater under a black vest. His rather large hands were covered by white gloves and he wore yellow pants that stopped short of his large, brown shoes.

"I don't know Goofy," the duck, Donald, admitted, "but it has to be serious if she had to sneak away when everyone was sleeping!" The small duck didn't like the current circumstances and was just as nervous as Goofy…but he wouldn't admit that to the dog any time soon. Donald had large black eyes same as his friend and a large yellow bill. On top of his head he wore a blue cap. The magician also wore a blue long sleeved shirt decorated with zippers.

"Well I hope everything's alright!" Goofy said. He glanced worriedly towards the door, unconsciously stopping his pacing. His sudden stop caused Donald, who was not paying attention to where he was going, to run smack into him causing the two to tumble to the ground in a messy heap.

"Goofy!" Donald quacked loudly.

"Gwarsh, Donald, I'm sorry!" Goofy apologized.

The white duck struggled intensely under the crushing weight of Goofy. "Get off of me Goofy!"

"Donald!" a sharp, feminine voice snapped, ceasing all struggles from the angry duck.

Donald cringed and reluctantly looked up towards the voice. Who he saw in front of him was no surprise.

He chuckled nervously, "Good morning Daisy!" Donald attempted to smile at the furious female in front of him but his gesture fell flat.

The woman known as Daisy had the same exact feather coloring as the magician at which she was yelling at as well as the exact same yellow bill. She had large black eyes that were trained on the nervous duck before her and on her head was place a simple crown with a blue gem in the middle. She wore an elegant dress that had various shades of purple on it and brushed the floor when she walked.

"Don't you 'Good morning Daisy' me Donald!" the lady in waiting snapped. "What are you and Goofy doing outside of the Audience Chamber when there is work to be done around the castle?' The impatient duck tapped one foot impatiently as she waited for one of the two to answer her.

"Well you see Daisy, Azami's got here early this morning and -"

"I'm well aware of Azami's arrival as is the rest of the castle," Daisy interrupted Goofy, "but at least everybody else is getting _some _work done instead of eavesdropping in on the King and his private conversation!" She pinned Donald with a look that made the duck squeak in fear.

Donald opened his mouth to defend himself but was cut off by the sounds of doors opening behind him. Almost too eagerly did he and Goofy turn to look at the now open door. However, the figure who stepped out of the room wasn't at all who they expected.

The enthusiastic yellow dog known to the residents of the castle as Pluto trotted from the room with something in his mouth.

"What you got there, Pluto?" Goofy asked. The Captain of the Guards wrestled the something from the dog's jaws and wiped the slobber off on Donald's clothes (much to the duck's distaste).

"It's a letter from the King!" Donald announced, recognizing the royal seal on the letter. He snatched the parchment from Goofy's hands and began to quickly read it. Once he was finished he let out a quack of surprise and rushed into the Audience Chamber.

Goofy looked after his weird-behaving friend and scooped up the piece of paper that fell on the floor when Donald dropped it in his rush. He slowly read it over before jumping in surprise and rushing after Donald who was currently frantically searching the Audience Chamber, the letter floating into the hands of a confused Daisy.

The lady in waiting calmly read the letter before gasping in disbelief. "Oh, no! We must keep this from Queen Minnie!" Biting her nails worriedly she rushed off to make sure that Queen Minnie was far away on the other side of the castle. The last thing Daisy wanted was for the Queen to start to worry. Although in her rush, she dropped the letter which fell open before an excited Pluto.

Cocking his head to the side, Pluto quickly read the letter, unsure of what was making the others so worried.

_Dear Donald and Goofy,_

_Azami and I have taken off for Destiny Island to find Sora and Riku. I can't go into details but I can tell you that trouble is starting up again and I fear that we're going to need help from the Keyblade Master once more. The darkness is gathering once again and I don't know if we're already too late to stop it. Be careful until then and keep the castle safe….I fear that our enemy has access to our world. I'll be in touch soon._

_The King O O_

_ O_

Barking loudly at the note the black eyed messenger dog picked the letter up in his mouth and trotted down the hallway in search of the Queen. If anyone needed to know about the current situation it was the Queen!

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><p><em>Preview:<em>

_"It's a Heartless, King!" Sora defended._

_"Why are you holding us back?" Riku snapped. His heated eyes were trained on the stock still figure._

_"Because she's not a Heartless!" the King snapped. He moved in between the two boys and the figure, arms out to block both sides from attacking the other without going through him._

_"She?" Sora asked, his weapon dropping to his side._


	3. Chapter 2

The rolling waves crashed upon the shore of the peaceful island as three figures took in the calming sight with endless gratitude. The tall palm trees stood firm around them, the occasional coconut falling from their confines when the wind blew hard enough. The various makeshift shelters that were built into the natural features of the island seemed empty, lonely.

"It's been some time since we've been able to do this," a tall, white haired boy sighed, leaning back on his elbows as he took in the scenery. He had piercing pale blue eyes that were slightly obscured by the shaggy white hair that fell on his face every time he moved his head. He wore a black zip-up tank-top with a white and yellow vest over it; his pants were a pair of baggy blue denim jeans, and on his feet he wore a simple pair of sneakers. He also wore a white band on his left wrist.

"Yeah, it feels so good to finally be able to relax after fighting the Heartless for so long," a brown haired male said, sitting beside the first boy. His hair stuck out in odd angles about his head and moved softly in the wind. His eyes were a deep blue and he had a content smile on his face as he looked out on the ocean. His clothing consisted of a black and silver over jacket as well as a baggy black and silver jumpsuit and a pair of black with yellow gloves with a crown necklace. His outfit was decorated with many zippers and extra leggings. His shoes were black and yellow.

The brown haired boy leaned his body back some more in order to get comfortable but immediately jumped in surprise when one of his hands ran into another's on the warm sand beside him. Flushing a deep shade of red the boy turned to look at the girl sitting at his side, silently wondering if she was at all bothered by the accidental bump.

The girl had dark red hair that reached a little past her shoulders and violet-blue eyes that were focused on the ocean before her. She wore a hooded pink strapless dress made up with three zippers as well as a white halter top underneath her dress, a black belt reminiscent of suspenders with a note book shaped bag attachment, and large lilac shoes.

"It just goes to show that we neglected a lot of things about this place when we were little," the girl piped up, seemingly oblivious to her red faced friend.

"After this we should go and get some sea salt ice cream," Sora said. Riku glanced at his best friend, an eyebrow raised in confusion. Kairi caught his look and giggled softly.

"Do they even have sea salt ice cream here?" Riku asked the smiling brunette.

Sora's smile faltered for a moment as he thought about his friend's question. "You know, I don't know. I just have this really strong craving for some sea salt ice cream right now." The bashful male rubbed his head and chuckled lowly, much to the amusement of his female friend.

Riku sighed loudly and shook his head. "Same old Sora," he muttered.

Sora jumped suddenly at his friend's words. "Hey, what is that supposed to mean, Riku?"

"You two haven't changed much," a familiar, high pitched, laughing voice said, interrupting the trio's getaway. The three teens jumped in surprise at the sudden voice and snapped their heads in its direction.

Before them stood a small figure with huge black ears that stood erect on the top of his head. He wore an outfit similar to Sora's save for the fact that his fit him perfectly.

"King!" Sora and Riku exclaimed. The two males jumped to their feet and rushed to greet the small, mouse-eared king.

"What are you doing here?" Sora asked, smiling from ear to ear.

"How've you been?" Riku asked at the same time.

"Hi, King!" Kairi waved, "Who's your friend?" It was then that Sora and Riku noticed the small figure of a stranger stepping out of a corridor of darkness. The two boys stiffened at the sight of a pair of menacing yellow eyes gazing curiously in their direction.

"A Heartless!" Sora gasped. He and Riku called upon their individual Keyblades and lunged at the figure.

"Riku, Sora, stop!" King Mickey shouted. Almost immediately the two boys stopped but both had their blades positioned before them, presenting the stranger with a warning.

"It's a Heartless, King!" Sora defended.

"Why are you holding us back?" Riku snapped. His heated eyes were trained on the stock still figure.

"Because she's not a Heartless!" the King snapped. He moved in between the two boys and the figure, arms out to block both sides from attacking the other without going through him.

"She?" Sora asked, his weapon dropping to his side.

Curiously, he and Riku looked around the mouse's head at the figure standing patiently before them. Their hands were on their hips and they cocked their head to the side in confusion.

Riku and Sora watched with wide eyes as the figure reached up and grabbed their face. With a sharp, quick yank the dark face of the Heartless fell away to reveal the face of a girl. She had long blue hair that stopped about the middle of her back and dazzling light blue eyes that shone brightly in the sun. Her complexion was fair and she was dressed in a blue half top that hung loosely about her shoulders over a white cami. She also wore a pair of black, tight fitting jeans as well as a pair of black and blue shoes. Around her neck she wore a simple chain with the symbol of a black and blue heart missing a quarter of a piece and her ears were decorated with a total of five silver earrings.

"Based on the confused looks on your faces I'm pretty sure the King hasn't told you about me," the girl said, her voice as smooth as silk.

"Sora, Riku, Kairi, this is Azami," King Mickey introduced.

"Why were you wearing a Heartless mask?" Riku asked, suspicion dripping from his voice. "And why are you traveling through the corridors of darkness?" The blue eyed male had yet to lower his weapon, his untrusting gaze focused on the lax girl in front of him.

"All that will be explained in time," Mickey reassured, "But not here. Sora, Riku, I need the two of you to come with Azami and me, we have lots to discuss."

"What about Kairi?" Sora spoke up, casting a worried glance the auburn's way. "We can't just leave her here."

"Actually, I think here is the best place for Kairi to be," Azami spoke up. "Too much light in the corridor of darkness can attract the others." Azami made a point to look at King Mickey as she said this.

The small, two foot three inches, mouse nodded in agreement. "Azami is right, for now Kairi stays here."

Sora opened his mouth to protest but Kairi silenced him with a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright; I'm used to staying behind while you guys have all the fun."

"Kairi," Sora trailed off, saddened by the girl's words.

Kairi giggled and waved off the boy's concern. "You worry too much Sora." She offered the boy a large smile and without a moment's hesitation got one back in return.

"We gotta leave now, before the others start looking for me," the girl muttered impatiently. She glanced back at the open corridor to make sure that no one was coming through it.

"Who are the others?" Riku asked. His eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I'll explain everything back at the castle," the King promised. "Now let's hurry back!"

Sora and Riku said a quick and reluctant farewell to their long time friend before following the King and the mysterious girl into the corridor.

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><p><em>Preview for next chapter:<em>

_"Don't tell me you believe she's here to help us?" Riku snapped, "Why would she want to help us when she's one of them?_

_"I don't know," Sora said truthfully. He threw his hands behind his head, "Maybe….she's not like them at all?"_

_ Riku scoffed at his friend's suggestion. "Come on Sora, you and I both know that once you've been corrupted by the darkness there's no coming back!"_

_"Well….what about you?" Sora asked, "You seem to be doing pretty well." The brunette smiled goofily as his friend opened and closed his mouth as he struggled to find something to say._


	4. Chapter 3

A small two foot three inched figure hurried swiftly down the hallway leading to the Audience Chamber, their gowns dragging across the floor. A magnificent crown adorned the figure's head and twinkled brightly as every so often the trinket caught the sun's rays. The figure's face was one of worry as they made their way to the nearing doors of the Audience Chamber.

As the figure moved to open the doors they immediately had to jump back in surprise to avoid being hit by the opening doors. They gasped in surprise as the two forms of Donald and Goofy blocked the entrance to the chamber. The figure caught the surprised looks the two exchanged as they took in the figure before them.

"Your majesty!" Donald quacked. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Donald, Goofy," the Queen greeted. She moved to go around the pair but was surprised (and slightly annoyed) to find that her path was blocked. She attempted another route only to find the pair moving to block her once more.

"Uh….what'd ya want to go in there fer, your majesty?" the Captain of the Guard asked.

"I received an urgent letter that concerns me," the Queen asked, bringing the two's attention to the paper clutched in her hand. "It says that we might be in trouble once more."

Donald laughed nervously. "That letter's just a joke!"

"But it's signed in the King's handwriting," the Queen said, doubt filled her tone. She watched incredulously as the two opened and closed their mouths, searching for something to say.

"Maybe we should just tell her, Donald," Goofy whispered loudly in the duck's ear. The duck quacked loudly in protest and jabbed his elbow sharply into the dog's stomach.

"Your majesty," Donald laughed nervously. He tried to find the right thing to say but only succeeded in smiling lamely.

"What are you two doing standing in the doorframe?" a familiar, high pitched voice asked from behind Donald and Goofy. The two jumped in surprise and whirled around to see the King standing before them with his arms crossed over his chest, three other very familiar people were standing behind him.

"Your Majesty!" Donald and Goofy exclaimed.

"Donald, Goofy!" Sora exclaimed. The brunette rushed to the two and enveloped them in a hug. "I thought I'd never see you two again!"

"Sora!" the two exclaimed, returning his hug.

Once the three parted from their hug Donald and Goofy turned their smiling faces on Riku. The silver haired teen simply nodded his head in acknowledgement but the duck and dog weren't having any of that.

Goofy laughed loudly and wrapped his arms around the stoic teen. Donald followed his friend's actions. Despite the boy's look of dissatisfaction on his face one could tell he enjoyed seeing the two once again.

"I'm glad that everyone knows one another," Azami spoke up, "This will work better when we have to fight together."

"Fight?" Sora asked, his smile faltering a little.

"What's all this about King Mickey?" Riku asked. He focused his untrusting eyes on the mysterious girl before him.

The King sighed heavily and turned his attention to his wife who was still standing in the doorway. "Minnie, if you don't mind, I'd like to explain the situation to the others first. I promise I'll tell you later." He offered his wife a kind smile but was met with a dubious look in return.

"No more secrets, Mickey," the Queen reminded her husband. "You promised."

The small male mouse raised his right hand and promised that he'd tell his wife everything soon. The Queen, reluctantly accepting his promise, turned from the door and made her way in the opposite direction. Azami shut the door before the Queen had made it even halfway down the hall.

"Where do I start?" she muttered, running her hands through her hair. "Do you know what we even are?"

"We?" Sora asked slowly. "Who are we?" The brunette scratched his head in a confused type fashion. Azami bit back a sigh; she could see she'd have a lot to explain.

"Me and my friends," Azami explained. She directed a small portion of dark energy to her right hand and passed it over her face. Almost immediately her heartless mask covered her face and almost immediately Sora and Riku called upon their respective Keyblades. Once again King Mickey stepped between the three, shooting the boys a hard look.

"She's on our side, remember?" King Mickey snapped. The brunette at least had the dignity to look ashamed and put away his Keyblade but Riku stood defiant, glaring at Azami's masked face.

"It's alright King Mickey," Azami laughed, "It took even you some time to get used to this thing." She moved her mask off her face and let it rest comfortably in its usual spot at the upper right side of her forehead. Seeing that Riku's hard glare was still trained on her face, she dropped her smile, cleared her throat, and got back to her explanation.

"We call ourselves The Incompletes. We are the kids who managed to escape the Heartless when they attacked our worlds. However, we didn't escape unscathed, the Heartless took pieces of our hearts and in return we acquired the Heartless powers. You can tell which Heartless stole our heart and what powers we're capable of by the masks that we wear. As you can see a Shadow took a piece of my heart and in return I can do anything a shadow can do."

"So how'd you get the masks?" Sora asked. He seemed interested in the peculiar black mask that rested on her head. In fact, he seemed so interested that he looked like he wanted to touch it.

"They just came like the powers. It shows our connection to the darkness and we use that connection to our advantage. When we travel from world to world we use the masks as disguises. The Heartless mistake us for one of them and all too often so do humans, which allows us to go about our business unbothered."

"And what exactly is your **business**?" Riku asked. His tone was harsh. Azami shrugged her shoulders carelessly.

"We go from place to place exploring and having fun, albeit our fun isn't always harmless. Of course our true intentions are hidden by all our constant play. I fear that my friends are forgetting why we started exploring other worlds in the first place."

"And why would that be?" Riku asked. His tone still harsh.

"We wanted to find a way to get back the pieces of our hearts that were stolen from us. We thought that other worlds might hold the answers. Somehow we were so lost in our fun that we lost sight of what we were originally looking for. I worry that they no longer wish to find the pieces of their hearts. I fear that they are playing something that will hurt all of our worlds."

"That's why I've called you and Sora here, we must stop the impending threat before it's too late," Mickey finally spoke up. "We're in danger and I think that it's more dangerous than any Heartless or Nobody we have ever encountered in the past."

"More…dangerous?" Sora gasped in disbelief. He ran his hands through his brown locks and groaned loudly. "But defeating Xemnas and the Nobodies was so hard!" The brunette fell into the nearest seat and threw his head back, giving Azami and the others a nice view of his neck.

"My friends are experts in the power of darkness and are smarter than any Heartless. They'll be extremely hard to go up against."

"And how do we know that we can trust you?" Riku asked. He stepped towards Azami threateningly. His hands were clenched at his sides and he was glaring daggers at her.

"I am aware that I will have to gain your trust and I am prepared to do so, if you will allow me to." She held the boy's heated stare, not in the least bit intimidated.

"Riku," the King spoke up. "Azami is here to help us. We're going to need her help with her friends. She knows them like no one else does. She's invaluable to your group."

"You won't be coming with us King?" Azami asked, shocked at this news.

The small mouse chuckled slightly. "I wish I could but my duty lies here, protecting the castle. I'll do what I can from here but you five must do this journey without me."

She didn't like the King's idea in the slightest. She trusted Donald and Goofy as much as she trusted the King but she had only met the two island boys and as much as Sora seemed to trust her, she knew Riku was another story. However, she respected the King's wishes and decided to keep her protests to herself.

"Get all the sleep you can," Azami muttered, turning away from the others. "We leave early tomorrow." She moved to make her way out of the room to visit the guest chamber she usually occupied on her visit to the castle when Sora spoke up.

"Leave to where exactly?"

"Radiant Gardens, of course," she smiled. Sora, Donald, and Goofy jumped at the name.

"We're going to see Leon and the others?" Sora exclaimed. The brunette and his friends smiled largely as they took in the information.

Azami nodded her head. "Cid is modifying a Gummi ship that will get us from world to world."

"How will we be getting there tomorrow?" Riku spoke up.

"The fastest way there would be the corridors of darkness -" she tried to continue but the furious Riku immediately cut her off.

"You have no idea how dangerous those corridors are!"

She narrowed her eyes at the boy, finally having enough of his attitude. "I know just as much if not more than you, boy!" The look of utter surprise on the faces of Sora and Riku did not go unnoticed by Azami.

"I know all about your adventures, about how you were taken under Malificent's wing and how you succumbed to the power of darkness once before, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't look at me like I'm lower than you! You were like me once upon a time."

The furious white haired male set his jaw and glared heatedly at her. "You know nothing of me!"

"I have no more time for useless arguing with a boy who thinks he's better than me. I bid you all good night and will see you in the morning." Azami shot one last glare at the still glaring Riku before opening a portal and stepping through it.

It was quiet in the King's Audience Chamber as all eyes were trained on the white haired male. The boy in question tried to ignore the stares but found the task harder than he first thought.

The King sighed loudly and shook his head in disapproval. He pinned Riku with a pointed look but chose against scolding the boy, he didn't want any more arguing tonight. "It's been a long day and the information was a lot to take in, rest will do everyone good. When you two are ready, one of the servants will help you find your rooms for the night." He bid the boys goodnight before excusing himself from the room, Donald and Goofy quietly followed.

"What's the matter Riku?" Sora asked, confused by his friend's behavior.

"Don't tell me you believe she's here to help us?" Riku snapped, "Why would she want to help us when she's one of them?"

"I don't know," Sora said truthfully. He threw his hands behind his head, "Maybe….she's not like them at all?"

Riku scoffed at his friend's suggestion. "Come on Sora, you and I both know that once you've been corrupted by the darkness there's no coming back!"

"Well….what about you?" Sora asked, "You seem to be doing pretty well." The brunette smiled goofily as his friend opened and closed his mouth as he struggled to find something to say.

Sora yawned loudly before stretching his aching limbs. "I'd love to keep talking about this with you Riku but I'm tired and I kinda wanna get some Z's. Stop being so hard on her, something's telling me that you'd actually get along with her."

Riku found himself scoffing once more as he crossed his arms across his chest. "You're right, you do need to get some sleep; you're sounding less intelligent with every passing second!"

"Hey!" Sora shouted in protest. His friend laughed at him and raced from the room, the brunette closely following after him, protesting loudly about the boy's insult. For the moment Azami and the impending threat was pushed to the back of their minds.

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><p><em>Preview: <em>

_"We have to hurry quickly; Sora's light will attract a lot of Heartless to our location and with the size of the corridor we'll be overcome within seconds. I'll take up the rear; just keep going straight until you see the light and don't slow down for anything, understand?" Sora, Donald, and Goofy nodded obediently while Riku focused his gaze on more interesting things like…..his feet._

_"Alright gentlemen, what are we waiting for?"_

_Riku was the first one to enter the corridor, followed closely by Donald, Goofy, and Sora. Taking a deep, calming breath Azami entered last, steeling her nervous nerves as the corridor closed behind her and the group was drowned in darkness._


	5. Chapter 4

Azami stepped angrily from the corridor that took her from the King's castle and sent a powerful kick at nearby debris. The rubble crumbled pitifully under the force of her attack.

"Looks like somebody is mad," an obnoxious voice laughed from somewhere surrounding her. She growled lowly under her breath and attempted to ignore the jeering voice. However, she found the task to be more difficult than she thought for the person the voice belonged to appeared before her, an equally obnoxious smile eminent on their face.

"What's your rush, Azami?" a brown haired boy asked, "I just want to know where my favorite little trouble maker has been this whole time, we were so worried!" His unruly hair hung wildly from his head, his bangs framing the angular face of the cocky male. His almond shaped brown eyes danced mischievously in their sockets as he took in Azami's irritated form. His clothing consisted of a faded green jacket with dingy, white fur around the collar over a plain orange shirt and a pair of long, tan cargos. His shoes were black and scuffed.

Azami scoffed loudly at the boy's words. "What do you want, Yukio?" she growled. She was beyond tired and wanted to get some sleep. Needless to say Yukio was interrupting her plans.

It might have been her imagination but it seemed that Yukio's smile increased tenfold. "Aw, don't be like that Azami!" He swung from his perch and landed lightly before her. "Kimi sent me to get you, seems like everyone wants to have a little chit-chat about something or another, I wasn't really paying that much attention."

Azami watched the disgusting male dig unabashedly into his ear to pluck a wad of ear wax from his ear. Flicking the wax from his finger he proceeded to dig into his other ear for more buried treasure.

"I don't find your lack of attention anything short of a surprise," she muttered.

"Aw, Azami, you say the nicest things to me!" Yukio teased.

Azami bit her tongue to prevent a string of curses from escaping and picked up her pace, creating some distance between her and the infuriating brunette.

"Why'd they send you of all people?" she muttered.

"I volunteered!" Yukio explained. "Of course they didn't think that was such a great idea, especially Kanaye. They said we wouldn't make it as far as the outer ring but look, we're almost there!" The energetic brunette rushed past her and towards the towering ruins before them.

The crumbling castle Azami and her friends called home towered pitifully before her, a former shadow of what it used to be. Many of the bricks that still held the castle together were dark with mold and eroded severely from the many years of rain and wind that swept across the land. The landscape was gray and dismal and stretched for as far as the eye could see and probably even longer. The sun was perched on the horizon, forever still in its position of switching with the dark moon. Instead of its rays being a boisterous yellow that brightened the land it was a dreary gray that decorated everything it touched in the depressing color.

"Hurry up slowpoke!" Yukio's taunting voice called out, breaking Azami from her reverie. "You've seen these old ruins countless times before, there's no need to get all awestruck now!" Flashing her a teeth grinding grin, the boy disappeared into the ruins. Reluctantly, Azami followed him.

The sun's ray's cut through the many broken windows that lined the passageway leading towards the Meeting Chambers. Cracked paintings hung from the walls, their pictures hard to decipher after all the years of abandonment. Azami imagined that at one point in this world's history that this castle used to be the pride of the people, especially the descendants of the first King whose hands built the crumbling beauty she and her friends now occupied. Azami envisioned countless people, all dressed in their finest clothes walking up and down the halls she and Yukio now treaded, each admiring the beautiful pictures that were now mere skeletons of what they used to be. She could hear the loud screams of laughter and joy that once echoed the now quite halls and soft patter of giggling children's feet as they ran away from their nannies. She had a strong feeling that these halls – these rooms – this castle had seen better, happier days but now….

"Well looks who finally decided to join us!" the enthusiastic voice of an all too familiar male exclaimed. Shaking her heard of her daydream Azami looked around to find that she was standing before a long table that sat could at least twenty four people but at the current moment only held six. The room Yukio had taken her to was large and relatively empty save for the long table and large window at the back of the room. Miraculously, this room remained intact; untouched by the various heartless that pillaged the castle countless times before their arrival. However, the room wasn't able to avoid time for mold was found in here too and the damp smell of something you couldn't identify.

"Azami! A lighter, chipper voice of a small girl exclaimed. A small petite figure hopped from their seat and bounded towards her, arms outstretched.

Azami sighed quietly and concentrated her energy into the soles of her feet. The small form sailed over her head as she disappeared into the floor. The figure would have hit the far wall behind Azami but they disappeared in a dark flash. They reappeared in their seat with another dark flash, grinning widely from ear to ear.

"Must we always wait on you before we begin our meetings, Azami," an irritated voice asked as she materialized before the group once more. When she carelessly shrugged her shoulders at the person's question they clenched their jaw tightly and began to furiously flip through the pages of the book in front of them.

"You all called this meeting for a reason," Azami said calmly, "Can we get on with it?" Without looking for a response she took a seat farthest away from the group, scowling when Yukio took it upon himself to take the seat beside hers.

"While out on patrol, Kioko and I came across an interesting sight," a low, steady voice spoke up. "Upon further inspection we found that it was a summon gem." Azami watched with wide eyes as a glowing green gem rolled towards her.

Jumping towards the delicate gem, she snatched it up and cradled it in her hand. She glared heatedly around the room. "Be careful with him!" Yukio laughed loudly at her words.

"What's gotten into you, Azami? It's just a stupid little gem!" As if to prove his point, he snatched the gem from her tight grip and held it high above his head out of her reach. "I bet if I drop this sucker he'll break into a million little pieces!" She watched with wide eyes as he made to drop the gem.

"Yukio!" a sharp, feminine voice cut through the air, "Stop fooling around and settle down so we can talk about why we're really here." The blonde male glared defiantly down the table at the bright burgundy eyes peeking over a rather large book. After a short silence he scoffed loudly and threw the gem carelessly in the girl's direction

Biting back a gasp, Azami watched the gem sail across the room before it landed safely in the hand of the girl. Azami watched the girl place the glowing gem in her jacket pocket before Azami turned her attention back to the matters at hand, whatever they were.

"You've gotten soft, Azami," a soft, low male voice cut through the silence. "Is something on your mind?" Azami's muscles tensed slightly at the words spoken.

"Why the sudden interest in me?" she asked through clenched teeth. Azami felt cornered and she didn't like that one bit. Her mind raced with possible ways of avoiding the oncoming conversation but her mind was drawing a blank.

"Because your recent behavior is jeopardizing everyone else. You leave for hours on end without telling anyone where you are and return hours or days later only to saunter off to bed. Kanaye is off on patrol without you as we speak; you know our rules for one of us going out by ourselves. Suspicions have arisen and we need them to be confirmed true or mere fallacy," the steady male voice from earlier explained. Azami jumped to her feet, angered by the words spoken.

"You doubt my loyalty?" she roared, slamming a fist onto the molding table. Azami glared around the room at the others, their faces cloaked in darkness.

"You give us no evidence not to," the steady voice countered. Azami bit back a low growl.

"What do I need to do in order to make you see where my loyalty lays?" she asked lowly, trying to hold back the anger clawing at the back of her throat. She caught Yukio's wide smirk at her question.

"Just the words we wanted to hear!" he exclaimed. A bubbly giggle erupted across the room at the blonde male's excitement.

"A few days ago Kimi stumbled across some interesting information that could prove troublesome to our future plans. It seems that there is a boy that wields some kind of key that destroys Heartless. He's taken down countless Heartless and he alone could be the unraveling of our little family. We want him eliminated," the steady male voice explained.

"You want me to eliminate him?" Azami asked, her face as hard as a stone. This could prove troublesome to her plans but she needed to remain calm, the last thing she needed was the rest of her group to get even more suspicious.

"Not right away," the voice admitted. "Present yourself as a friend and gain his trust. Let him suspect nothing of you or your true intentions and when he's let his guard down fully, take care of him!" Azami sensed the light smirk on the face belonging to the steady voice.

Nodding her head to show that she understood, Azami stood to her feet. "If this will get you guys off my back then I'll do it." Without another word she excused herself from the room, hiding the giddy smile trying to break across her face. Unbeknownst to her friends, they had made her job a little easier

Back in the council room six sets of eyes stared at the empty chair Azami had inhabited only moments before.

"I get the feeling she's up to something," the irritated female voice cut through the air. Her comment was followed by the sharp turning of a page in a book.

"Maybe someone should watch over her?" the chipper of the two female voices asked.

"Right now let's see how she does," the steady voiced male said.

Azami was up early the next morning. Careful not to disturb the others in the rooms surrounding hers, she slipped out of her window and disappeared into a corridor of darkness. Unbeknownst to her a pair of shining brown eyes watched her.

A smirk decorated his face as Azami's petite form disappeared into a corridor of darkness "Interesting," the mysterious male laughed. Sure to bring it up to the others later on, he slipped away from the window and went in search for something to entertain himself until some of the others woke up. Maybe if he played his cards right he could get in a few pranks on Kimi, Kioko and (if he was _really_ lucky), Iwao or Ryuji before they woke up. Smiling at the thought, the prankster quickly set to work thinking of pranks that would have him rolling hours from now.

_**The Next Morning **_

"I'm surprised to see you all up so early," Azami said, the surprise evident in her tone. When she had come silently through the corridor she expected the castle to still be fast asleep but found to her pleasant surprise that Donald, Goofy, Riku, and Sora were up and ready to go.

"Sora kept us up most of the night with his excited babble," Donald quacked. He sent an accusatory glare the brunette's way. The boy chuckled sheepishly in response, scratching the back of his head.

"I just couldn't wait to see Leon and the others," he defended. "Sorry if I kept you up, Donald." The duck ignored the apology and muttered irritably under his breath. Azami laughed lightly.

"Will the King be seeing us off?" she asked.

"He told us to head off as soon as you got here," Riku spoke up. He made sure to keep his gaze downcast and his arms folded so as to show his displeasure. "He said that if he made it here before you arrived then he'd give us his best wishes but if not then to not wait up." She nodded at the boy's words.

"I guess it can't be avoided then," she sighed. Calling forth a small amount of darkness, Azami opened a corridor and turned to face the boys.

"We have to hurry quickly; Sora's light will attract a lot of Heartless to our location and with the size of the corridor we'll be overcome within seconds. I'll take up the rear; just keep going straight until you see the light and don't slow down for anything, understand?" Sora, Donald, and Goofy nodded obediently while Riku focused his gaze on more interesting things like…..his feet.

"Alright gentlemen, what are we waiting for?"

Riku was the first one to enter the corridor, followed closely by Donald, Goofy, and Sora. Taking a deep, calming breath Azami entered last, steeling her nervous nerves as the corridor closed behind her and the group was drowned in darkness.

The small group moved swiftly through the corridor without a word exchanged. Tension was running high and Azami had a feeling that something was approaching fast.

Chancing a glance behind her, Azami's eyes widened as the bulbous, yellows eyes of Heartless emerged from the darkness. Cursing silently, she stopped in her tracks and called forth her Heartless mask.

"Azami!" Sora exclaimed He was the first to notice that you had stopped as well as the oncoming Heartless. He called forth his Keyblade and prepared to assist the girl in the fight when Azami's protests reached his ears.

"Keep going! The faster you get out of here the better; I can handle a few Heartless!" Something flashed faintly in the direction of Azami, giving off a small light as it twisted around her nimble fingers. "Don't worry about me; I'll be right behind you!" With that said, she slid on her Heartless mask and lunged for the charging Heartless.

Landing before the charging Heartless, Azami managed to successfully stop their rampage. She watched with narrow eyes as the surrounding Heartless considered her large frame. To them her size didn't make sense; she had the face of a Shadow but her body was that of a Neo-Shadow…..was this some new breed spawned between the two?

One of the front most Heartless stepped forward, issuing a small challenge to Azami. With its untrusting gaze set upon the girl it began to cautiously circle her, searching for anything that could give away this new creature's true identity.

Azami stood perfectly still, her yellow eyes taking in the rest of the group. Doing a quick head count she knew that she wouldn't be able to take on all of them at once. If it came down to it she'd take down as many as she could before catching up to the others whom she hoped had made it safely to the other side.

The circling Heartless couldn't get its head around the creature before him. Its aura was that of darkness, its face was like its own, yet it had no claws or anybody disfigurement that assisted it in battle. Was this a real Heartless or…..

Azami acted swiftly, taking the Heartless behind her by surprise. Jumping away from its swiping claws Azami brought her wire forward and wrapped it rapidly around her attacker's neck. With prompt movement the small wires cut through the Heartless' neck, rendering it nothing more than air. Her sudden attack provoked some of the other Heartless to spring forth an attack of their own.

Dodging razor sharp claws, Azami took down each Heartless that dared attack her with perfected ease. With each twitch of a finger Heartless after Heartless fell until the blue haired girl stood victorious amongst the crowd of Heartless that opted to stand back and watch.

The remaining Heartless were smart enough to know when it was time to throw in the towel. They turned tail and disappeared into the darkness, allowing this new Heartless like creature to test its luck against the Keyblade master and his friends.

Smirking in triumph, Azami wrapped her small wires into a tight loop before pocketing them once more. Turning on her heels she rushed after the others, her bulbous, yellow Heartless eyes glowing in delight.

Sora and the others had safely made it out of the corridor and were now resting to catch their breath. After Azami had stayed behind to handle the Heartless the group didn't run into any more of them. As their breath slowly returned the corridor before them pulsed violently.

Jumping to their feet and calling upon their respective weapons they waited with tense bodies as something cloaked in darkness burst from the corridor. Bulbous, yellow eyes stared in curiosity at the tense males before chuckling loudly. Reaching up with a blackened hand the Heartless yanked at its face.

Relief flooded through Sora, Donald, and Goofy as the Heartless' face came off and reveled the face of a smirking Azami. With the mask now free of her face the darkness hugging her skin evaporated, leaving her pale skin in its wake.

"Glad to see everyone got out okay," Azami said, a little breathless. ."Well, here we are!" She looked around her surroundings with happiness, Sora, Donald, and Goofy doing the same.

The quaint houses and shops that surround the empty market place warmed Azami's heart as she walked slowly through the small town. She couldn't remember the last time she had walked these familiar streets and felt so at home.

"Well look who's here, and she's brought some very familiar faces!" the energetic, female voice of a certain female ninja called down to the group. Adverting her gaze upwards, Azami spotted the slim figure of the ninja known as Yuffie.

The ninja looked to be a few years older than Azami with short, dark hair that framed her smiling face. Her large violet eyes were shining as brightly as the wide smile on her face. Her skin tone was tan and her athletic build convinced many that she could take care of herself. Her clothes consisted of a regular black headband with white lining, an unzipped, dark grey combat vest with a black strap dangling from the right pocket overtop a navy blue tank top with white floral designs, a white wristband on her right wrist and a grey, fingerless glove on her left arm. Her dark shorts had black straps dangling from the left side and she wore black, knee-high socks with white stripes at the top underneath dark tan boots that are slightly shorter than her socks.

Jumping from her position on the wall towering over the group, she landed before Azami and enveloped the girl in a hug. "It's so good to see you again, Azami. It's been so boring without you here! Squall and Aerith don't know how to have fun like you do!" The hyperactive ninja squeezed Azami tightly to her body, cutting off most of Azami's oxygen.

Thankfully, the girl's death grip didn't last for long; once her attention was caught by Sora and the others she rushed to greet them. Gathering Sora, Donald, and Goofy into a big hug, the smiling ninja laughed joyously. "It's really good to see you guys too, Sora, Donald, Goofy! It's been ages!"

Sora laughed shakily in the ninja's tight grip. "It's good to see you too, Yuffie!" Donald quacked and struggled violently in the girl's arms.

"Let me go! Let me go!" the magician demanded. Giggling loudly, the female ninja quickly complied, taking no offense to the duck's harsh tone.

"You must be Sora's friend, Riku, right?" Yuffie asked, turning her attention to the silent male. She grabbed his hand and shook it enthusiastically. "Hiyah! My name's Yuffie, the Great Ninja!" Her bright smile grew as the white haired male stared in bewilderment at the female ninja.

"Uh…Riku," the boy said after gathering his wits. Yuffie giggled loudly before turning her attention once more to Azami.

"We've been waiting on you to arrive; you took longer than we expected," Yuffie informed. Azami shrugged her shoulders.

"Some lowlife Heartless slowed us down in the corridor, but we're here now." The female ninja nodded her head at Azami's words.

"Well, follow me then, Leon and the others are at Merlin's house. They want to tell you guys something about something or another, I wasn't really paying attention," she confessed. Azami chuckled slightly.

"Same old Yuffie." The female ninja shrugged carelessly.

"Who has time to listen to anything they say when they're only going to repeat it over and over? Besides, there are more important things to do then listen to Leon talk." The petite female jumped high in the air at the sound of a deep voice behind her.

"What were you saying about me, Yuffie?"

The female rolled her eyes, obviously not troubled by the male. "Hey, Squall." The group turned their gazes on a scowling man standing on the ledge above.

The man called Leon was a few years older than you. He had handsome, sharp features despite a distinctive scar which ran diagonally across the bridge of his nose. He had long, brown hair that brushed against his shoulders and side swept bangs. He wore a short-sleeved jacket with fur on the collar and bore red wings on the back and a red Griever symbol on each shoulder over a white undershirt. His pants were black with a vertical zipper going down the side of each leg and his shoes were black, zipper-lined. On his hands he wore black gloves and around his neck a silver Griever necklace. Three brown belts on his left forearm and three buckles on his right thigh made up some of his accessories along with two brown belts and two black ones around his hips, all of which were quite loose except for one, a black one worn properly around his waist. His eyes were blue and narrowed dangerously at Yuffie.

"That's Leon," he said gruffly. Yuffie waved off his words.

"Leon!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy shouted in unison. The three smiled happily up at the gruff looking man, a gesture which he returned but only slightly.

"We should probably get you all to Merlin and Cid," Leon said, turning his back on the small group, "they've been waiting impatiently to see all of you." He walked off, disappearing form view a moment later.

"We'll all be waiting at Merlin's for you guys. Take your time and see all the improvements we made to the town!" Yuffie suggested. Waving a quick goodbye she vanished from sight, presumably following Leon.

Sora grinned widely, throwing his arms behind his head as he took in the scenery. "I thought I'd never see this place again!"

"We can sight see later," Azami spoke up, "Right now our main focus is getting to Merlin's and seeing what he and Cid have for us" The smile faded from Sora's face and he deflated a little at the prospect of business before pleasure but he reluctantly trailed after the others as they headed to Merlin's house.

* * *

><p><em>Preview:<em>

_"We should hurry inside," Azami muttered. She felt darkness growing around her, no doubt the Heartless converging in on them. Casting a look around the area she made sure none of them managed to sneak up on them. It was then that her eyes connected with Riku's. He could feel it too._


	6. Chapter 5

"Oh man, this place sure hasn't changed!" Sora exclaimed. The quaint cottage, nestled in the corner of the residential section of the town, hadn't changed much since the last time Azami or Sora visited. The old wood was losing much of its color and some of the red shingles on the roof were missing. The chimney, sitting atop the pointed part of the roof was churning out smoke in full speed, showing that somebody was present within.

"We should hurry inside," Azami muttered. She felt darkness growing around her, no doubt the Heartless converging in on them. Casting a look around the area she made sure none of them managed to sneak up on them. It was then that her eyes connected with Riku's. He could feel it too.

"Is something wrong, Azami?" Goofy spoke up. He seemed to be the only one to notice Azami's and Riku's silent interaction. However, his question caused Sora and Donald's attention to be turned to the girl as well.

"Sorry," Azami apologized, breaking eye contact with Riku, "I thought I saw something; it must have been a trick of the light?" She chuckled lightly to throw them off her scent.

Sora, seeming to buy it, shrugged his shoulders and turned to look at Riku. "Did you see something too, Riku?"

"We should get going," the white haired male said, avoiding the question. He brushed past his long time friend and towards the wizard's front door.

"Hey!" Sora protested. He rushed after his friend and was prepared to object Riku's attitude when the front door to the cottage flew open and Leon, Yuffie, Cid, and Aerith ran out. Following their hasty retreat was a rather loud explosion. Azami and the others jumped back in surprise.

"Wha…what was that!" Sora exclaimed.

Smoke billowed out of the open front door and filled the surrounding area in dark clouds. Covering her mouth, Azami narrowed her eyes and strained to see through the smoke.

"That confounded wizard and his blasted magic!" a man's southern drawl shouted. "I told him to take his voodoo someplace else!"

"How many times must I tell you that my magic isn't voodoo!" an aging voice exclaimed. Seemingly from out of nowhere a large gust of wind began to blow and successfully managed to clear the surrounding area of the smoke. It was then that Azami and the others spotted the old figure dressed in blue robes standing before the cottage door.

The wizened figure was a rather tall one, covered head to foot in soot. A long white beard covered most of his kindly features, aside from his rather large bifocals that shielded his black pupils. A blue hat that matched his blue robes sat atop his head and sagged pitifully at the top. His long, awkward feet were covered by blue, pointed shoes.

"Well whatever you want to call it, it's messing with my work!" Cid, the man with the southern drawl, yelled.

He had short cropped blonde hair and beady blue eyes that were narrowed dangerously at the pale wizard. He chewed almost angrily on his toothpick, the stubble on his chin seemingly dancing with each gnash of his teeth. His outfit consisted of a white T-shirt with two buttons descending from the neck, baggy pants that were blue and had a very wide, orange waistband with thin, vertical stripes on it. He wore his pants rather high, with the waistband coming up to just under his ribcage. From his knees down he wore grey socks over his jeans and black shoes on his feet. Resting on his forehead were his goggles and around his neck was a necklace with a rectangular made of wood and secured by a rope.

"Your work?" the thin magician exploded. "Is that what you call it? I cant get anything done thanks to your infernal contraption! It takes up most of my beautiful home!" The two closed the distance between them and were prepared to escalate to a physical dispute but were quickly stopped by Aerith.

"Please you two, now is not the time to be fighting each other!"

The woman had soft, understanding green eyes and long brown hair styled into two long curls on the side of her face and one long braid in the back tied with a bright pink bow. Her bangs framed her face nicely, pushed to both sides so her round, pale face was visible. Her outfit consisted of a carmine pink and white top held up by a string that wrapped around her neck. Underneath that top, she wore a pink dress with a horizontal white stripe near the bottom. Underneath that dress she wore yet another dress, this one being white and slightly longer than the first. On her feet she wore brown boots.

The two squabbling men turned to face the stern face of Aerith and almost immediately ducked their heads in shame. Grumbles of half-hearted apologizes fell from their lips.

"What were you doing in there, Merlin?" Azami spoke up, bringing the magician's attention to her. His eyes widened in surprise to see her standing before him, apparently not noticing her before then.

"Why Azami dear, hello, it's been a while since I've seen you around here! I was working on my latest magic spell – fine tuning it and what not – when all of a sudden something went wrong with the mixture! It was like something, or someone had tampered with it without my knowledge. Next thing I know everyone's rushing out of the house and my potion is erupting in my face! But what about you dear, how goes it?"

"I'll tell you all about it another time, Merlin. I hear you and Cid have something for our journey?"

"Ah yes!" Merlin exclaimed. "I almost forgot! Please, follow me back into the cottage!"

"Are you sure it's safe in there?" Riku muttered. His doubtful mutterings reached the magician's ears.

"Why my good lad you must be the friend Sora has been going on about for ages! My name is Merlin young man, if you didn't already gather and it is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance!" The old wizard grabbed hold of Riku's hand and shook it with enthusiasm not seen in most men his age. "Allow me to give you a grand tour of my humble abode!" Gripping the boy's wrist in a strong grip, the magician dragged him into the cottage with the others following him. Sora and Azami couldn't seem to hold in their laughter.

* * *

><p><em>Preview: <em>

"_This is my best work yet!" Cid boasted. His grin increased as he turned to look at the awestruck Sora and Azami. "What do you think?" _

"_It's beautiful/amazing!" Sora and Azami exclaimed in unison. Cid grin grew even wider as he shot a cocky glance the fuming magician's way. _

"_Thought you might like it; now I made a few modifications to it so it's not like the gummi ships you've handled in the past. This little beauty here can travel through darkness itself and acts as a copy cat Keyblade against the Heartless' ships. The missiles are bigger and the ammo packs enough damage to take out a large meteor. I call her Lady Light!" _


	7. Chapter 6

"Maybe we should step in and save the poor guy?" Yuffie suggested. She and the others watched a miserable Riku half heartedly listen to the magician go on and on about a vase he collected in the 1800s…..or was it in the 1700s? Azami agreed with the ninja's suggestion, although she rather did enjoy watching the dejected male being tortured by the well-meaning sorcerer. Finally showing some pity to the boy, Azami decided to step in.

"Merlin, I'm sorry to interrupt but we must really get going, duty calls; so if you don't mind, the gifts please."

"Oh of course, excuse an old man, would you Azami?" Azami smiled politely, showing him that there was no harm done.

"Don't worry, Merlin, I have a feeling this won't be the last time we see each other, maybe then we can hear more of your stories? I'm sure Riku can't wait." Sora and the others laughed at her joke while Riku glared heatedly at the girl.

"Splendid!" Merlin explained, oblivious to Azami's joke. "Well, if you all will follow me over to my study." Sora, Donald, Goofy, Azami, and Riku eagerly followed the wizard over to his desk where countless pieces of paper lay in messy piles one atop the other. They watched as Merlin picked from the bottom of the tallest stack a single piece of paper and handed it to Azami.

She looked at the piece of paper but found herself confused for the paper was blank. "I don't get it," she confessed. She looked towards the smiling magician for answers.

"Well you see, I was doing my morning walk around the world's and came across this piece of paper with your name on it. Curious I was as to why a piece of paper would have your name on it of all people in a strange place such as that but upon further inspection I found the paper to hold a single, well drawn – if I do say so myself – picture of a small village with a castle looming over it. I thought, since it had your name on it, you knew what the drawing meant but by your reaction….." the wizard trailed off unsure if he should continue or not. When he saw the confused look on the girl's face he asked, "Do you not see the picture?"

Azami shook her head carelessly, "There is no picture there." Donald quacked loudly in protest.

"Don't you see the picture! It's right there!" The duck smacked a finger onto the middle of the parchment and looked up at a confused Azami. "Anybody with eyes can see that it's right there!"

Azami ignored the duck's rather rude comment and stared harder at the paper, willing the picture to appear before her eyes. A moment later she gave up hope and handed the paper back to Merlin. "I'm sorry Merlin, but I just don't see any picture."

"Hmm, very interesting," the magician pondered. However, he refused to take back the paper. "It is rightfully yours my dear, keep it with you; maybe it means more to you than you realize?"

Azami, not really seeing the importance of a blank piece of paper but not wanting to say so to Merlin, carelessly stored the paper away and turned towards Cid.

"What'd you have for us Cid? Got anything better than a blank piece of paper?" The mechanic laughed at the girl's dry humor while Merlin merely frowned.

"I think you're gonna be more than please at what I got cooked up for you guys!" He waved the small group over to the massive computer tucked into the corner of the home just opposite the front door. "You're gonna love it!"

Typing in a few numbers and clicking on a few applications, Cid pulled up a window with a picture of a beautifully crafted gummi ship. The ship's gummi blocks were made of a beautiful shimming white and royal blue with two large engines occupying most of the back part of the ship and large wings occupying the sides. The body shape was pointy at the top and rather large under the wings and undercarriage

"This is my best work yet!" Cid boasted. His grin increased as he turned to look at the awestruck Sora and Azami. "What do you think?"

"It's beautiful/amazing!" Sora and Azami exclaimed in unison. Cid grin grew even wider as he shot a cocky glance the fuming magician's way.

"Thought you might like it; now I made a few modifications to it so it's not like the gummi ships you've handled in the past. This little beauty here can travel through darkness itself and acts as a copy cat Keyblade against the Heartless' ships. The missiles are bigger and the ammo packs enough damage to take out a large meteor. I call her Lady Light!"

"She's waiting for you guys right outside the gates; she's ready when you are!" Yuffie explained. Her smile rivaled that of Cid's.

"Well then what are we waiting for?" Goofy laughed. Azami, Sora, Donald, and Riku nodded in agreement. Bidding the others farewells and promising them they'd come back soon the small group of five headed for the gates of Radiant Gardens.

_Preview: _

"_Goofy, do you think you could help me navigate?" Much to her dismay the Captain of the Guard shook his head. _

"_Gwarsh, I'm sorry Azami but ya see I have two left thumbs! Maybe Riku could help ya?" Azami knew the dog meant well but inwardly she cringed at his harmless suggestion. Reluctantly, Azami swiveled her chair around to meet the boy's gaze. _

"_Riku?" she asked in a quiet tone. The white haired male fell into the navigator's seat without so much as a smart reply or glare. Azami could feel herself smile. _

"_Alright, full speed ahead; next stop, Beast's Castle!_


	8. Chapter 7

Whoa," Sora breathed, taking in the gummi ship before him. He slid his hand down the side of the ship before whistling in appreciation. "It's even more awesome in person!"

"Cid really out did himself this time," Azami admired. "Alright, let's see what this baby can do!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy nodded eagerly and clambered up the gangplank that led into the ship. Laughing, Azami started to run after the three until the brooding figure of Riku caught her attention.

Despite their obvious dislike for each other, Azami found herself stopping to wait on the boy. "Why so down, slowpoke?" Azami asked, lightheartedly. The boy merely ignored her attempt at a light conversation and brushed past her without so much as a glance her way.

Fighting off the urge to smack him in the back of the head, Azami took a deep breath and yelled after him, "So we'll work on your communication skills later!" Forcing herself to stay positive she followed him into the ship, the doors closing behind her.

"So where exactly are we headed to first?" Sora asked. He was perched comfortably in the driver's seat. Azami made quick work to remedy that. She easily pushed the brunette from _her _spot and began to pull up the map to the worlds in need of immediate assistance.

"Hey! That's my spot!" Sora protested childishly. Azami lazily looked over her shoulder at the pouting boy.

"If that's the truth then why am I sitting here?" she challenged. Her hard gaze quieted the boy's whining and made him take the seat designated to the co-captain.

"Now then," Azami said, turning back to the computer panel. She pressed a few buttons and a blown up picture of a vaguely familiar world. The most prominent structure of the planet was the beautiful, white castle towering over the many trees that surrounded it. Not a lot more could be seen on the planet save for a small village nestled just outside the forest's perimeter.

"Hey!" Sora exclaimed. "I've seen that place before; is that…."

"It's the Beast's castle!" Donald exclaimed. He jumped to where his rather large duck butt was blocking anyone's view of the computer screen. "I don't remember there being any village there though." Before the bird could make any further inspection however, he was thrown violently across the ship. He quacked loudly in protest as he collided within the seat of a chair just outside the navigation area.

"Are we going to see the Beast?" Sora asked eagerly, taking the spot Donald had previously occupied. His bright eyes glowed with delight at the thought of seeing his old friend again.

"Hey!" Donald quacked, now over his initial shock. He lunged at the brunette and successfully managed to knock the boy to the ground where the two instantly struck up a wrestling match.

Fist and feathers flew left and right as they two rolled about on the ground, each shouting insults to the other as they fought. It seemed that the two would keep it up for hours if it weren't for Riku's abrupt intervention.

The irritated boy grabbed the two by the scruffs of their necks and threw them down in the closets seats next to him. Giving each a glare that could scare even the toughest of Heartless, Riku said through gritted teeth, "Sit there and be quite." Sora and Donald, not wanting to anger the boy, quietly nodded their heads, afraid to make even the slightest of noises.

Sighing loudly, Azami turned her attention to the worried Goofy who had been watching the scene from behind his fingers. "Goofy, do you think you could help me navigate?" Much to her dismay the Captain of the Guard shook his head.

"Gwarsh, I'm sorry Azami but ya see I have two left thumbs! Maybe Riku could help ya?" Azami knew the dog meant well but inwardly she cringed at his harmless suggestion. However, she didn't have much of a choice – Sora had been put in time out and she couldn't trust Donald around too many buttons – that just left the brooding teen. Reluctantly, Azami swiveled her chair around to meet the boy's gaze.

"Riku?" she asked in a quiet tone. She didn't want to sound as if she were begging – she'd man the entire ship herself before she resorted to begging – but she really needed a navigator. Thankfully, the white haired male fell into the navigator's seat without so much as a smart reply or glare. Azami could feel herself smile.

"Alright, full speed ahead; next stop, Beast's Castle! Hope you're buckled up!" Azami exclaimed. Maneuvering the gummi ship into the air, she flipped on the engine thrusters, revved the engine and shot off for the acquired destination.

_Preview:_

"_The King says you and Sora have been fighting the heartless for a while now," Azami said, "must suck to fight this seemingly losing battle." Azami chanced a glance in Riku's direction. When she saw his intense glare focused on the side of her face she immediately looked away. _

"_You should know better than most, Incomplete," Riku muttered bitterly. "The heartless will never stop coming as long as there is light in our worlds and Sora holds the Keyblade. However, Sora seems to believe that we can win this battle and despite my personal opinions I won't make the same mistake of abandoning my friend again." _

_Suddenly, something large hit the side of the ship, throwing the occupants of the ship forward. _

"_What was that?" Riku demanded. He quickly pulled up an image of the outside of the ship and bit back a curse at the scene before him. _

"_Heartless!" Sora exclaimed. _


	9. Chapter 8

After a few hours of mindless conversation and few laughs the Lady Light was drowned in a tense silence. The only sound that could be heard apart from the dull, lull of the ship's engines was the loud, obnoxious snores of Sora, Donald and Goofy.

Azami had turned on the autopilot and was choosing to relax for a while. She had hoped to get a few hours of shut eye but with the loud snoring coming from the back of the ship it seemed like an impossible task. Sighing under her breath she looked out the corner of her eye towards the silent teen beside her.

He didn't seem to be bothered by the quiet and Azami was reluctant to interrupt his peace for she wanted to avoid an argument. Sagging her shoulders dejectedly, she turned her attention away from the boy and out the front window once more.

"Are you just as bored as I am?" Riku spoke up. His sudden deep voice made the girl jump in shock. She heard the boy chuckle at her response "I take that as a yes."

"How much longer 'til we reach the Castle?" the girl asked, brushing aside her embarrassment.

"About another hour or so," the boy murmured. He lazily kicked up his feet so they laid across the dashboard. "There's nothing to do but listen to those three snore, they make it impossible for me to sleep." Azami chuckled lowly.

"Tell me about it." She sent the boy a small smile only to find his eyes closed. Dropping the gesture she turned her attention back to the window. "Hopefully this hour will pass by quick." Beside her Riku grunted in agreement.

"The King says you and Sora have been fighting the heartless for a while now," Azami said, "must suck to fight this seemingly losing battle." Azami chanced a glance in Riku's direction. When she saw his intense glare focused on the side of her face she immediately looked away.

"You should know better than most, _Incomplete_," Riku muttered bitterly. "The heartless will never stop coming as long as there is light in our worlds and Sora holds the Keyblade. However, Sora seems to believe that we can win this battle and despite my personal opinions I won't make the same mistake of abandoning my friend again." Azami sat and quietly pondered the boy's words.

Suddenly, something large hit the side of the ship, throwing the occupants of the ship forward.

"What was that?" Riku demanded. He quickly pulled up an image of the outside of the ship and bit back a curse at the scene before him. "We've got heartless, lots of them!"

"Heartless!" Sora exclaimed from somewhere behind Azami and Riku.

"We can't take on that many heartless," Azami growled. She turned the ship off autopilot and pulled back on the steering wheel, slowing the aircraft down. "The only way to make it out of here alive is to shoot our way through the ships blocking our way ahead and put this baby into hyper speed to avoid the ones off to the side and back."

"Everybody strap in," Riku ordered, "looks like we'll be getting to Beast's Castle quicker than expected!"

Flipping on a switch for her guns Azami took aim and began a rapid fire on the enclosing heartless ships ahead. "Riku, tell me when we're cleared for hyper speed, I don't know how much damage those missiles pack but I don't want to take any chances!" The ship shook violently as a missile shot by a heartless ship struck the back of the Lady Light.

"Isn't there something we could do? We're a sitting target!" Donald quacked. Another missile struck the aircraft, this one striking the left side. Azami gritted her teeth, her thumbs turning red from exerting more pressure than necessary on the trigger of the ship's gun.

"Are we cleared, yet!" she asked through clenched teeth. The heartless' missiles were packing more damage than anticipated, a few missiles more and the ship would be unable to fly.

"Give it a few more seconds!" Riku growled. The ship was rocked violently once more by another missile.

"Well, unfortunately for you we don't have a few more seconds!" Slamming her steering wheel forward, Azami smashed the button for hyper speed with her foot.

Instantly the ship lunged forward at a break neck speed and shot passed any opposing heartless gummi ships. At this speed they'd be at Beast's Castle in no time.

_Preview: _

"_The Beast doesn't like Christmas?" Sora asked. It seemed like the very thought of someone not liking Christmas was appalling to the brunette. _

"_Let us continue this conversation inside," Bell suggested as she moved past the group. With the help of Riku and Sora, Belle opened the wrought iron gate leading into the courtyard of the castle. _


	10. Chapter 9

"Let's never do that again," Sora groaned. The brown haired teen clambered down the gang plank rubbing his sore neck. The ship had just barely stopped in time to avoid crashing into the Beast's world. With shaky limbs the gang hurried off the ship, glad to be on solid ground.

"She did good for her first flight," Azami shrugged. "Anyways we were able to get here in one piece so let's get this over with shall we?" Azami led the way into the dense forest surrounding the overshadowing castle ahead.

"I bet Belle and Beast will be so surprised to see us!" Sora exclaimed. A wide grin split across his face at the thought of seeing his old friends again.

"I wonder if they've changed a lot?" Goofy wondered, the same grin mirrored on his face.

"Well it wasn't as cold as it is now!" Donald snapped. The small duck was visibly shaking in the cold, his breathes coming out in large puffs of white. It was probably because his clothing choice was the less suited for this type of weather.

Everywhere they turned they saw white. The bare trees, ground and castle gates just up ahead were covered with thick snow and ice. The trees bore no protection for the group against the biting winds and the trek across the snow covered ground was proving difficult, the frozen precipitation freezing the feet of poor Donald. All and all the group was not dressed for this sort of weather but they all had it better than Donald.

"We're almost there," Azami mumbled reassuringly. "Maybe this Beast guy will have a roaring fire in this large mansion of his."

And the mansion was very large. Wrought iron gates set up a perimeter around the grounds of the castle, shutting off the forest and it's many dangers from the inhabitants of the manor. Statues of hideous gargoyles decorated almost every edging and tall, intimidating towers rose several feet above the main portion of the mansion, casting dark shadows across the grounds. The white brick that made up the manor was covered in most places in moss and the places that weren't infected with the green algae were dirty and a worn color.

"It doesn't look like the friendliest of places," Riku commented. He warily took in the less than appealing sight of the castle before him.

"It does look a little rough around the edges," a light, melodic voice spoke up grabbing the attention of the group.

Behind them stood a beautiful woman who offered a kind smile in their direction. Her hair was auburn and tied back by a blue ribbon that matched her outfit: a long sleeved white shirt under a blue dress and white apron and black shoes on her feet. Her kind brown eyes dance happily in their sockets as she took in the familiar faces of the group. Azami noticed in one hand she held an axe and in the other she tugged a sled behind her with a pine tree lying upon it.

"Belle!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy exclaimed. Azami and Riku watched from a distance as the trio rushed to crush the woman in their arms. Under the weight of the three, the woman – Belle – could only laugh.

"It's good to see you all again!" Belle yelled over the affectionate noises the three were making. "And I see you've brought more friends!" At the mention of their companions the three broke the embrace with Belle and turned to introduce Azami and Riku to their old friend.

"Belle, these are my friends Azami and Riku," Sora introduced. Belle offered the two a kind smile.

"It's nice to meet you both."

"Belle, what are you doing out here by yourself, won't the Beast worry if you're not in the castle?" Sora was surprised when the lovely maiden made quick silencing motions with her hands.

"The others and I would like to throw a small Christmas celebration in the castle. The Beast he….he doesn't like Christmas too much so we thought we'd surprise him."

"The Beast doesn't like Christmas?" Sora asked. It seemed like the very thought of someone not liking Christmas was appalling to the brunette.

"Let us continue this conversation inside," Bell suggested as she moved past the group. With the help of Riku and Sora, Belle opened the wrought iron gate leading into the courtyard of the castle.

With Belle leading the way the group walked up the path of the courtyard, warily taking in the gargoyle statues that looked as if they could come alive at any moment. It was merely a second later when the group and Belle walked into the main lobby of the castle.

The lobby was dimly lit by few candles placed a few feet apart from one another on each side leading the group towards the grand stair case that curved to the left and right. The room was massive in size and intimidating in décor what with the dark tones and crude painting decorating the walls. Azami found herself wondering how a person like Belle who was so full of light chose to stay in a place as gloomy as this.

"Belle!" a small, squeaky voice called up from somewhere in the room. "You're okay!" The light sound of china skipping across the ground reached the ears of the group and much to the amazement of Azami and Riku the sight of a tiny, smiling cup rushing towards them.

A small, china cup mostly white in color with a little purple around its rim smiled up at the group. It's large curious eyes observed the group with a large smile. A small chip on its rim greeted Azami as the cup turned his gaze upon her.

Belle laughed softly at the cup's words. "Of course I am Chip! And I got a beautiful tree for the ballroom!" Chip jumped eagerly at her words.

"Mama, Lumiere, and Cogsworth just finished decorating! All that's left is the tree!"

"Well we mustn't keep them waiting!" With help from the group, Belle managed to get the tree off the sled and up the stairs before finding a way to get the large pine tree through the doors of the ballroom. Much to the relief of Sora and Donald, the group quickly set the tree down as soon they cleared the doorframe of the spacious room.

The room was drastically different from the previous one. It was well lit by multiple candles situated in a large chandelier hanging from the ceiling, The colors that decorated the room gave off a joyous feeling that couldn't be found anywhere else in the castle. The gothic styled windows shimmered beautifully against the candle lights which in turn accented the ceramic floor tile that shone brightly in blues and golds. What appeared to be holding up the massive domed ceiling decorated with blue skies and laughing cherubs were large pillars that at the moment were wrapped in green garlands. All in all the room was decorated spectacularly, capturing the image of the holiday.

"You all did a wonderful job! This place is stunning!" Belle exclaimed. It was then that Azami noticed the small smiling objects standing before the group, glowing in pride at their beautiful handiwork.

"Of course it is stunning!" an angel figurine spoke up, her tone dripping with pride. "I am the Royal Decorator after all, if it looked anything but stunning I would be ashamed to show my face!" The figurine was no doubt beautiful dressed in fine white robes complete with angel wings and a glowing halo. Her pale skin made her vibrant blue eyes and blonde hair stand out as she stepped forward. Her nose was turned slightly upwards a fitting image to go along with her slight French accent and pompous attitude.

A loud, amused chuckle sounded at the angel's comment. "That is Angelique's way of saying thank you Mademoiselle." The suave, French accented voice belonged to a skinny, gold candle holder. Most of his body was the gold that started on his large lower lip and extended to the bottom of his lanky frame. The parts that weren't covered in gold were made of wax and the tips of his head as well as both of his hands were lit by small flames. His charming gaze was directed at Belle and Azami.

"We're glad you like it dearie!" a stout teapot exclaimed. The teapot resembled Chip in every way save the fact she was missing the small chip in her rim. Her kind eyes that matched her kind smile greeted the group before her warmly.

"Now if only the master approves!" the final member of the enchanted objects fretted. The robust clock glanced about the room worriedly, mentally checking over every aspect of the room. His face resembled that of a clock, the small and big hands that usually kept time on a regular clock standing as his mustache. His body was rectangular in shape with a gold, circular pendulum inside a case taking up the space where his stomach should have been. When he felt that the room was presentable enough he turned his scrutinizing gaze upon the group. "You have brought back not only a Christmas tree but friends as well!"

Belle seemed unfazed by the clock's rude turn and offered him a soft smile. "Sora and the others actually happened upon me just as I was returning!"

"Bon Jour Sora and friends; it is good to see you all again and for our new guests Bon Jour and welcome to our castle! My name is Lumiere; I am the castle's maitre d'." The three branched candelabra bowed low in a gesture of welcome. The clock, who appeared to be a little miffed by the candle's introduction, scoffed loudly and pushed Lumiere aside.

"It is my job as the majordomo to welcome all new guests to our castle, not yours Lumiere!" He turned his attention to Riku and Azami, cleared his throat and dusted off invisible dirt from his front before bowing humbly. "I am Cogsworth, and if you need anything I will be all but happy to assist you during your stay at our castle. Would you like to start off your stay with a tour?" A loud yelp of surprise ripped from the clock's mouth as he shot into the air, his backside smoking. Lumiere, who was obviously the culprit of the crime, laughed loudly at the undignified response.

"Please excuse Lumiere and Cogsworth, we haven't had guest in a long time; they don't quite remember how to act in front of company." The motherly teapot shot the two bickering objects a disapproving look which instantly stopped their antics. The teapot turned her gaze upon Riku and Azami once more and smiled kindly. "Where are my manners? My name is Mrs. Potts; would you like a cup of tea?"

"No thank you," Azami and Riku muttered.

"Well what are we doing just standing here, like we have nothing to do?" the angle figurine snapped. "That tree won't decorate itself!"

"Angelique is right," Belle said. "We should hurry and set up the tree, I don't want the Beast finding us too soon!" At her words the enchanted objects as well as Azami and the others hurried to help finish the decorations.

_Preview:_

_Suddenly, the doors to the ballroom flew open, grabbing the attention of everyone occupying the space. Out of instinct Azami called forth her Heartless mask. _

_Standing in the doorway of the ballroom stood a ferocious looking animal that towered over everyone in the room. _

"_What is that thing, a Heartless?" Azami asked. She moved to put her mask on her face but was quickly stopped by Sora. _

"_That's the Beast! He's our friend!" _


	11. Chapter 10

"Belle," Sora spoke up as he handed the woman a string of lights. "You said earlier that Beast doesn't like Christmas, if that's true why are you doing this? Won't he just get mad?" At his question everyone seemed to stop what they were doing and turn towards the brown-haired maiden whose attention was now focused on the ground.

"The Beast…he…I … No one should be unhappy on Christmas."

"You see dears, Christmas is the day that the Master was turned into a Beast and the spell was place upon the castle. Ever since that cold winter night he has a deep loathing for the holiday," Mrs. Potts explained.

"Well if that's true, why don't you all feel the same way? " Sora asked.

"It is Christmas!" Lumiere exclaimed. "It is a time to show others how you much you care for them and spend time with them. It is not a day for loathing!"

"We want him to see that Christmas is a good holiday!" Chip squeaked.

"The Master, he holds himself responsible for what happened to us," Cogsworth explained "We hope that through this small gesture he will see that we do not blame him for what happened."

"Even if it was his fault," Lumiere muttered. Cogsworth shot the candelabra a glare.

"Well if this is to cheer up the Beast than we should hurry up and finish decorating!" Goofy laughed. Sora and Donald nodded their heads in agreement.

"Yeah!" They shouted. Belle smiled at their enthusiasm.

"Thank you, all of you."

The tree stood tall and beautiful before the proud group. Each layer of pines was covered in bright greens, reds, golds, and silvers. Ornaments shone brilliantly on every branch, their colors shining ever more brightly thanks to the Christmas lights. And at the top of the tree the most beautiful star was placed, its light shining vibrantly.

"I've never seen a more beautiful tree!" Belle exclaimed. "Great work everybody!" The woman approached the tree and set a beautifully wrapped present underneath it.

"Is that a present for the Beast?" Donald asked teasingly. Belle nodded happily.

"It's only a book I made for him. I really hope he likes it!"

"If it's from you Belle, he'll love it!" Goofy reassured. The maiden smiled softly at the knight's words.

Suddenly, the doors to the ballroom flew open, grabbing the attention of everyone occupying the space. Out of instinct Azami called forth her Heartless mask.

Standing in the doorway of the ballroom stood a ferocious looking animal that towered over everyone in the room. The animal was covered from head to foot in dark brown fur and resembled a combination of many different animals, each one liable to easily tear apart a human being. His hulking frame was like that of a large buffalo save for the fact instead of standing on four feet he slouched on two feet that looked very much like those of a wolf's. The antlers on his head were buffalo in appearance and his razor sharp teeth that were sneering in Azami's direction were that of a wild boar's. He wore a tattered purple cloak clasped in the front by a simple golden pendant and he wore ripped dark pants had probably seen better days.

"What is that thing, a Heartless?" Azami asked. She moved to put her mask on her face but was quickly stopped by Sora.

"That's the Beast! He's our friend!"

Casting the animal – the Beast – a wary look, Azami allowed her mask to disappear but she still stood ready for any sudden attack. The Beast, noticing her still tense form, growled loudly in her direction.

"Master!" Cogsworth shouted, drawing the animal's attention away from the girl. "We were just talking about you!"

The Beast snorted loudly and turned his attention away from his majordomo and directed it around the room. "What is the meaning of all this?"

"Well, we wanted to decorate the ballroom a little monsieur," Lumiere explained cautiously, "it is Christmas after all!"

"Christmas!" the Beast growled. "I told you that there will be no Christmas in my castle!" He turned his heated glare upon Belle. "This was your idea wasn't it?"

Belle calmly held the Beast's intense stare and stood a little straighter. "It was." The Beast growled low in this throat and stalked towards the defiant woman.

"Must you always go behind my direct orders? Must you always defy me?" The Beast was now before the woman growling down at her.

"Christmas is a time –"

"I DO NOT CARE!" The Beast bellowed. "THERE WILL BE NO CHRISTMAS IN MY CASTLE!" In a fit of rage the Beast swung furiously at the Christmas tree, effectively knocking the pine to the ground. Upon impact the lights went pitch black and many of the ornaments broke, further fueling the Beast's anger.

In a matter of seconds the Beast had ripped down all the decorations on the pillars and walls, turning the once beautiful room into a sad reminder of what it used to be. As he started to calm down he turned to face a now furious Belle and a shocked group of bystanders.

Belle narrowed her eyes at the Beast, frustrated that all her and the others hard work had went to waste. "Why must you act so negatively? Christmas is a time to be happy! A time to be spent with loved ones!"

The Beast snorted rudely at the woman's words. "Happy. What is there to be happy about? I am a prisoner within my own castle, you have no idea what that is like!"

"Hey!" Sora shouted. He stepped in-between Belle and the Beast, holding his arms out so as to further separate the furious couple. "That's enough Beast! Belle was only trying to help!" The Beast growled at the intruding boy.

"It's alright, Sora," Belle spoke up, bringing the attention to her crestfallen form. She stepped away from the chaos that was now the ballroom and turned her back on everyone. She started for the door without so much as a glance behind her but stopped short of the doorway.

"And I know only too well what it feels like to be a prisoner." With that she ran from the room.

"Belle!" Donald, Goofy, and Sora shouted after her. The three hurried after the maiden with Riku and the enchanted objects quickly following behind them.

Azami moved to follow them but stopped short, suddenly remembering something. She cast a glance at the solemn-looking Beast. "That present is for you." She nodded towards the discarded wrapped gift that had somehow remained untouched just feet away from its original spot. "Belle made it." Azami quickly rushed after the group, leaving the Beast to his self-made chaos.

_Preview:_

"_Get. Out," he ground out through clenched teeth. "NOW!" The roar shook the entire room, bringing some of the pictures hanging pathetically to the wall to the ground with a loud crash. _

_Azami quickly walked to the door. When she was safely to the door she cast a sideways glance at the Beast. "You know," she started softly but she was confident the Beast could hear every word. "I can see why Belle feels like a prisoner here, you don't give her much room to think else wise." And with that she excused herself from the room. _


	12. Chapter 11

Azami quickly realized she did not know her way around the castle like the others and found herself lost. Silently she cursed her stupidity and spun uselessly in circles in an attempt to find her bearings. It was on her third spin that someone came to her rescue.

"I take it you are with that odd group who were running after the mademoiselle?" a voice spoke up. Startled by the voice, Azami jumped in surprise and looked around wildly. An amused chuckle rang out at her actions.

"I am right beside you mademoiselle," the voice spoke again. Cautiously, Azami looked over her shoulder to find only a tin solider standing erect with an intimidating spear clutched in his armored hand.

"Are you…talking to me?" the girl asked warily. She bit back a yelp of surprise as the suit of armor nodded its head.

"If you are looking for your friend mademoiselle they are just a little further down the hall, last door on your right." Unsure of whether to thank the armor or continue on like it had never spoken to her the stunned Azami settled for a small nod of the head before scrambling down the hall in the direction the suit of armor suggested. From behind her Azami could have sworn she heard an amused chuckle.

Following the armor's instructions, Azami found herself standing outside the door that presumably led to Belle's room .With some hesitation, she knocked on the door. A muffled "come in" ushered her inside the room.

This room was just like the rest of the castle, grand and beautiful, however the beauty in this room wasn't as exaggerated, it was quaint, like it's occupier. Simple, calming tones of blues and pinks made up the room with a large patio leading outside nestled at the other end of the room. The room held the typical objects any other would: a bed (a grand, four poster one that looked comfortable beyond words) where Belle was currently sitting, a bedside table (stacked high with various books) and a large, breathing wardrobe….breathing!

"Don't worry dear," the wardrobe spoke up in a chipper voice, "I'm not going to harm you!" Azami reluctantly took it's word but still kept up her guard.

"How can he say things like that? I thought he understood!"

"Please do not take the Master's words to heart, mademoiselle," Lumiere spoke up from his position on the maiden's leg, "he was simply speaking out of anger."

"Yeah Belle, you know the Beast didn't mean what he said!" Sora tried to reassure. He offered her a small smile but the gesture was not returned.

"I would like to be left alone for a while," Belle admitted quietly. "I am a bit tired and would like to get some sleep."

"Of course, dear," Mrs. Potts said. Hopping down from her place on the bedside table she ushered the others towards the door. "We'll settle our guests in for the night; please call us if you have any needs, dear!" There was no response from the brown haired female whose back was facing the group. Reluctantly, Mrs. Potts ushered the others from the room.

"Poor Belle," Sora muttered. He stared forlornly at the door, upset that he could not bring a smile to his friends face, "She was only trying to help." Mrs. Potts shook her head sadly.

"Please forgive the Master's temper, this season is a hard one for him."

"That's no excuse!" Donald quacked. "He should learn to control his temper!" The stout teacup opened her mouth to further defend her master but was stopped short by a rather funny cough. The group's attention was brought to the small clock stationed further down the hall, away from Belle's door.

"Dinner has been prepared for our guests if they wish to eat. However, if your appetites have already been satisfied you may have your pick of any room in the east wing."

Hearing the prospect of food made the brunette temporarily forget about his depressed friend and focus on his crying stomach. When was the last time they had eaten anything? To him it seemed like a millennia.

"Oh boy, food!" Donald quacked. He seemed just as eager as his Keyblade wielding friend.

"The dining hall is this way," Cogsworth informed, pointing behind him, "I'd be happy to show you the way." With that the small clock turned and started for the dining hall, an eager Sora and Donald following close behind.

"Maybe Belle would like something to eat?" Goofy asked, sparing a worried glance at the closed door before him.

"Don't worry about the mademoiselle," Lumiere reassured, "When she is hungry she will come out. For now, you must focus on filling your stomach. To the grand hall, if you please." Azami watched as the golden candelabra led Goofy away.

"No food for you dearies?" Mrs. Pots spoke up, eyeing the blue haired girl and Riku. "It is a grand feast in your honor."

"I don't have much of an appetite," Azami admitted. "If you wouldn't mind, could you show me to my room?" It had been a long day and with very little sleep the young Incomplete found herself feeling weary.

"Of course dear," the teapot said sympathetically. "What about you, young master?"

"I'm going to join the others in the dining hall. Don't worry, I can find my own way, I'll just follow the sound of Sora stuffing his face." Nodding a farewell to the teapot, her son, and Azami, the white haired male followed the path his comrades had left in earlier.

"Well, if you'd follow me dear, your room is just down the hall." With Mrs. Potts and Chip leading the way Azami came upon her room just a few feet down the hall from Belle's. Wit the prospect of sleep on her mind, Azami eagerly pushed open the grand door.

"Do you like it?" Chip squeaked.

The room was simple in décor. A neutral eggshell color covered the walls with a few dusty portraits of wealthy looking people here and there. The carpet was a dull, off brown color but felt good under the girl's feet. At the far end of the room stood a large, intricate window leading out to a balcony with a view of the far away village over the treetops of the dark forest. Beside the window on the left stood a large, oak armoire (this one with no face) presumable filled with impressive clothing. The bed, situated in the middle of the room with its headboard pressed against the adjacent wall of the balcony window, was impressively large, easily the biggest bed Azami and ever seen with its white and cream blankets and pillow. The room may not have been as quaint and as homey as Belle's but Azami would have no problem sleeping in the room.

"Thank you," the slender teen said, turning to the teapot and cup. "It's wonderful."

Mrs. Potts nodded her head approvingly. "Well if you need anything, just give one of us a ring and we'll be glad to help. Good night, Madame Azami." And with that the mother and son hopped down the hall, their china bodies clinking softly against the marble floor.

Once Azami was sure the hallway was empty, she slipped outside her room and headed in the direction opposite Belle's room. The castle was so big and grand; Azami couldn't pass up an opportunity to explore it due to her own fatigue. For now, sleep would have to wait.

She explored the many rooms of the east wing, finding the majority of them to be bedrooms for guests and the remainder of them to be sun rooms in which guests would pass the days away. Although the rooms were grander than any she had ever come across, Azami could help but feel disappointed at the lack of wonder that the east wing provided.

"Just a bunch of dusty, unused rooms," she muttered as she traveled down the steps into the entrance hall. "I wonder…." The teen's words feel short as her eyes traveled up the stairs leading to the West wing. She had an inkling that whatever lay beyond those steps was a lot more interesting than dusty guest rooms. Eager to explore, she halfheartedly look around to see if anyone was around before scurrying up the stairs and disappearing down the halls.

Whereas the East wing was brightly filled with light and decorated in shades of reds the West wing was dark and covered in shadows. Azami suppressed a shudder as she passed by many rooms, all of which were blocked by overturned statues or broken furniture. Many of the pictures that hung pitifully from the walls were slashed by the large claw of some animal or faded beyond recognition; the only paintings that were not harmed were the ones depicting war and misery. Hugging her arms to her chest, Azami began to get the feeling that maybe exploring this part of the castle wasn't such a good idea. It was as she was working up the nerve to turn around and return to her room that she came upon a set of stairs leading off into another hallway.

Her curiosity put her fear on the backburner and she found herself taking the steps two at a time to follow the new hallway into the unknown. The new hallway was even darker than the previous one and a cold draft was blowing from somewhere. Grotesque statues seemed to leap at the girl with each step and just as her fears were rising once more she found herself before a grand door.

Excited to see what she had stumbled upon, Azami pushed the door open. It screeched loudly on its hinges as it flew open slowly but soon enough the blue-haired female stood in the door way to the largest room in the castle. Cautiously, she stepped inside.

The room itself was easily the size of two or three of the guests room in the East wing combined complete with a massive window and balcony over looking the front of the castle. However, everything within the room was broken and tossed against the dark walls carelessly. Pieces of magnificent furniture were mere remnants of what they used to be, the tall walls were etched with claw marks along with the lone picture of what appeared to be a handsome, blonde-haired man, and the impressive four poster bed was cracked in half with the sheets torn to smithereens. How anyone inhabited this room was a wonder.

It was as Azami turned to leave that she saw it, the faintest of glow by the balcony window. Curious as to what the glow may belong to, the teen approached the other end of the room. When she came upon the glowing object she was taken by surprise to find it to be a beautiful wilting rose floating with a glass case, shining a brilliant pink color. Beside herself with awe, Azami reached out a hand to touch the magical object when something even more curious caught her attention.

From her position by the magical flower, Azami was able to see down into the courtyard at a familiar maiden wrapped in a brown cloak heading for the castle gates with a large, brown steed at her side. Azami moved forward to further watch the proceedings when her ears picked up on the lowest of growls. Spinning on her feet, the girl met the furious eyes of the Beast.

Out of pure instinct the girl reached for her weapon, an action not missed by the eyes of the snarling Beast. Faintly she remembered her brown haired companion's words that the growling creature before her was an ally and, ignoring all survival instincts, dropped her hands to her sides harmlessly.

"Didn't they tell you that the west wing was off limits? Why are you here girl?" The brilliant set of razor sharp teeth made Azami second guess her first instinct of staying armed. Just because the Beast was Sora's friend didn't mean he viewed her as one that he trusted; she wouldn't have been surprised if he viewed her as anything other than lunch.

The Beast growled at the girl's silence, a deep menacing growl that further conformed that there was no view of companionship between the two. "It would be best if you answered me girl."

"I got lost." A lame lie that the Beast easily saw through, however it was the only thing the girl could come up with. Another deep throated growl alerts Azami to his seething anger.

"Get. Out," he ground out through clenched teeth. "NOW!" The roar shook the entire room, bringing some of the pictures hanging pathetically to the wall to the ground with a loud crash.

Azami, wishing not to further infuriate the Beast, quickly walked to the door, choosing not to turn her back on the fuming creature before her; you never turn your back on an angry adversary. When she was safely to the door she cast a sideways glance at the Beast whose furious eyes were still trained on her petite frame. "You know," she started softly but she was confident the Beast could hear every word. "I can see why Belle feels like a prisoner here, you don't give her much room to think else wise." And with that she excused herself from the room.

_Preview: _

"_We gotta hurry!" the girl exclaimed, picking up speed. "It seems that wolves have caught onto their scent!" _

"_Wolves!" Donald quacked, stumbling to a halt. His sudden stop brought his long time friend Goofy to a halt as well. _

"_C'mon Donald, Belle needs our help!" the Captain of the Guards shouted. Without further prompting, the dog left the quaking duck to catch up. _


	13. Chapter 12

Hurried, silent steps led Azami to the dining hall which was loud with delicious smelling foods and the sounds of the clattering of various plate wares. The dark haired girl took walked into the dining hall as the last of the plates walked off the table and into the kitchen at the other end of the massive room. Brushing off the odd sight of the utensils clearing themselves off the table (just one of the many peculiarities that came with this world) and turned her attention on the satisfied-looking brunette.

"Belle's left, I think she may run into trouble!" Azami's words instantly had the boy and his companions on their feet, shocked by the news.

"The mademoiselle left?" Lumiere echoed. He seemed to have difficulty wrapping his head around the words. "Why would she do that?"

"Oh, does the Master know?" Cogsworth asked before anyone could answer the candelabra's question. Being the Beast's right hand man, Azami wasn't surprised that the clock's initial concern was for his master and not the helpless girl out on her own in the woods, but his misplaced concern still made the girl's blood boil.

"We have to go save her!" Chip exclaimed. At his words, the rest of the group sprang into action.

"Cogsworth, Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, go alert the Beast, we'll go ahead and start looking for Belle!" Sora instructed. Following his lead, the rest of the group (Donald, Goofy, Riku, and Azami) rushed for the castle's front door. Within seconds the small group of five was rushing down the bridge towards the gates leading out to the forest. If the footsteps of a small foot and the trotting horseshoe shaped prints were any clue then they were headed in the right direction.

"She couldn't have gotten far!" Riku shouted over the rush of wind. "Her footsteps still look pretty fresh!" The group pushed the gate open with little difficulty and followed the trail of footprints that were soon accompanied by more sets of tracks. Barely slowing down, Azami chanced a closer look at the prints only to find the distinguishable prints of wolf paw prints.

"We gotta hurry!" the girl exclaimed, picking up speed. "It seems that wolves have caught onto their scent!"

"Wolves!" Donald quacked, stumbling to a halt. His sudden stop brought his long time friend Goofy to a halt as well.

"C'mon Donald, Belle needs our help!" the Captain of the Guards shouted. Without further prompting, the dog left the quaking duck to catch up.

The footprints led the group to a large clearing where they encountered the endangered maiden being circled by what appeared to be wolves, if wolves have unnaturally long claws capable of ripping a human's chest open and long fangs that almost touched the ground as well as a shiny black coat of fur topped off with the all too familiar Heartless insignia on their chests.

"Belle!" Sora shouted, stopping short of the scene, his Keyblade at the ready. His yells caught the attention of the maiden as well as the Heartless wolves. The black furred monsters barred their impressive fangs at the group, before a choice few stepped forward to challenge them while the rest closed in on the defenseless Belle.

"I'll go after Belle," Sora said, glaring down the charging wolf Heartless, "you guys handle the others!" The brunette rushed at the attacking enemies, jumping clear of the impending doom in his attempt to get to Belle. While most the wolves ignored the piece of meat rushing the opposite way, one turned in an attempt to follow him.

Azami reacted swiftly. With a quick flick of her wrist, her almost invisible string wrapped around the jumping wolf's neck and yanked hard. The wolf fell hard against the forest ground and with another quick flick of the wrist, vanished in a dust of black ash. She pivoted gracefully on the balls of her feet to avoid the snapping teeth of a Heartless wolf aiming for her throat. With a swift elbow to its back, Azami sent the attacking enemy crashing to the ground at her feet. She sent the immobile wolf up in a puff of ash the same way she did the wolf before it, with an almost unseen jerk of her fingers.

Riku, Donald, and Goofy did their own share of Heartless-slaying but even with their help it seemed as if the wolves just kept on coming. As Azami destroyed what felt like her twentieth wolf Heartless she was knocked to the ground, by a lunging wolf.

"Azami!" Goofy shouted over the chaos of snapping jaws and growling. He attempted to knock away the wolf Heartless attacking him but was forced to shield himself from another wolf that came to assist his brethren. "Donald, Riku, Azami needs help!"

"Kind of busy here, Goofy!" Donald quacked. The magician struggled uselessly with a wolf who had taken it upon itself to trap Donald's staff within its jaws. The flustered duck quacked loudly before calling upon his magic to send a jolt of electricity through the wolf's mouth, sending it flying across the fighting grounds. His victory was short lived however as another wolf jumped to take the fallen wolf's place.

Riku chanced a glance at the struggling girl on the forest floor and bit back a curse. He knew she was trouble from the start! He slashed furiously at the three wolves encircling them, effectively managing to gain an opening as the wolves jumped out of the range of the blade. He made to rush to the girl's aid but was tackled to the ground by another wolf, his Keyblade tumbling out of his grasp in the surprise attack

Azami struggled under the weight of the wolf Heartless, barely managing to hold the animal back by its neck. The wolf snapped viciously at the girl's face in an attempt to rip the skin off. Gritting her teeth, the blue haired girl held tightly to the wolf's neck with one hand and attempted to reach for her wire that had slipped from her fingers and lay inches away from her outstretched hand.

"Just….a little…more," Azami panted. The weight of the wolf began to overwhelm the arm keeping the wolf at bay and much to Azami's horror, her arm began to buckle. She could feel the wolf's hot breath rolling against her face, its saliva dripping on her cheek as its teeth lightly grazing against the skin as she still stretched for the wire. It was her fingers brushed across the wire and as the wolf's teeth locked around her neck that a loud roar caused the attacking enemy to scatter.

The weight on top of Azami was quickly relieved and she found herself staring up at the growling form of the Beast.

"Get up girl," the Beast growled. Almost immediately, the girl scrambled to her feet, snatching up her wire in her haste. She watched as the large creature before her scanned the area, presumably looking for Belle.

"Where is she?" he asked in his low growl.

"Beast!" Belle's voice called out. Following the sound of her voice, Azami and Beast found the girl to be trapped in-between a large, dead oak and a half circle of wolves with Sora doggedly guarding her. Beast bared his teeth at the sight.

"Go help Sora," Azami spoke up. She knocked a lunging wolf out of the way with her forearm, "I'll cover your –," the Beast's ear-splitting roar cut off the girl's words as he lunged forward to attack, leaving Azami to deal with the remaining wolves, "— back."

"A little help here!" Donald called out, catching Azami's attention.

Calling upon her mask, Azami slipped the disguise on and immediately began to fill the effects of the instant transformation. With her newly required speed and agility, the girl dodged the attacking wolves targeting her and ripped a hole through the wolf's stomach that had Donald cornered. She chanced a quick glance to see if the duck was hurt but upon seeing no injuries ran off to help a defenseless Riku.

By now the white-haired teen was using all his strength to keep the wolf above him from biting down on his exposed neck. The boy's hands were struggling to keep the wolf's mouth as far away as possible, a difficult feat considering the wolf wouldn't stay still. Riku's fingers were being cut to ribbons by the dog's razor sharp teeth, the blood leaking into its mouth further fueling its ambition. Calling upon his Keyblade was impossible for it took all his concentration to keep the wolf at bay.

It was as Riku's arms finally buckled under the enemy's weight and as the wolf went in for the kill that the weight of the wolf suddenly disappeared and Riku was staring into the yellow eyes of a large shadow Heartless. Without thinking, he called upon his Keyblade and was on his feet seconds later swinging wildly at the Heartless. He was surprised when the monster easily captured his wrist in its hand, preventing the deadly blow.

"I'm on your side remember?" Azami's voice said from somewhere beneath the shadows. Almost instantaneously the shadows dispersed from her form, leaving the boy to stare into her glaring blue eyes. Releasing his wrist, she turned and sprinted off to help Goofy who was having trouble fending off four attacking wolves. Riku stared after her begrudgingly.

Most of the battle after that passed in a blur. With Azami, Riku, Donald, and Goofy working together the wolves found it hard to gain the upper hand. Donald sent the last wolf up in a burst of flames, allowing the four a moment of relief.

"Guys, help!" Sora shouted. At the boy's cry, the others were ready for the next wave of attack only to find the massive form of the Beast lying pitifully on the forest floor, covered in injuries. They rushed over to help.

"He's hurt really bad," Belle spoke up. She had positioned herself beside the Beast and was looking down upon him worriedly. "We need to get him back to the castle quickly!" The others nodded their heads in agreement and rushed to help.

"Get him on the horse," Goofy commanded. With great effort on everyone's part, they all managed to get the unconscious Beast upon the beautiful chestnut horse and with Belle leading the way headed back to the castle.

**O O O O**

**O O**

Under the watchful eye of a very concerned Belle, the Beast regained consciousness a few hours later. His wounds were wrapped and he was sitting in his pallor waiting for the small group as they rushed to greet him.

"Glad to see you're okay!" Sora said, a big smile on his face.

"You had us worried there for a minute, Beast!" Goofy admitted. At his words, the master of the castle looked down in shame.

"Could you all ever forgive me?" the Beast asked quietly. "If I would have never lost my temper this would have never happened. I never would have put Belle or you in trouble." Sora waved off the Beast's words.

"Don't beat yourself up about it," the brunette shrugged. Donald nodded his head in agreement.

"What matters now is that we are safe and Belle is back!" At the mention of the maiden's name all attention turned to the slumbering woman at the Beast's side. She was seated upon a small ottoman with her head resting comfortably on her folded arms that were on the Beast's armchair. She was oblivious to the attention as she peacefully slept on.

"She never left your side while you were unconscious," Mrs. Potts announced. Lumiere smiled widely.

"When everyone else thought it was a good idea to let you rest alone, the mademoiselle refused to leave you alone. She said that it would be nice for you to wake up to a familiar face!" The Beast seemed surprised at her words.

"Perhaps she cares about you more than you realize it, Master?" Cogsworth offered. At the majordomo 's words the Beast seemed to smile.

"I think it would be best to let her sleep," the Beast spoke up. The others silently agreed.

"Well then I guess we'll be seeing you?" Sora said. The Beast nodded his head, unopposed to the idea.

"You all are always welcomed here." The Beast made it a point to look Azami's way. The girl slightly nodded her head to show she understood the gesture behind his words. She and the others followed Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and Lumiere and Chip from the pallor to allow the Beast and Belle more time to rest.

"Until we meet again, then!" Cogsworth said. Sora nodded his head.

"It was nice to met you, Azami and Riku," Mrs. Potts said. She offered the two a warm smile.

"Come visit us again real soon!" Chip piped up. Lumiere laughed at the teacup's words.

"Yes! Don't be strangers! Remember, you are all welcomed guests!" And with more long-filled farewells and promises to come back and visit the group headed out, uncertain of their next destination and unaware of the pair of red eyes following their every move.

_Preview: _

_"Sometimes the past can be hard but talking about it with a friend can help ease that pain, ya know?"Azami felt her eyes widen in surprise at the brunette's words._

_"Friend?" She tried the word on her tongue, tasting it to see how it felt coming out of her mouth. _

_"Of course! Who else would risk their life for another but a friend?" Dumbly, Azami nodded her head in agreement, a little shocked but very much pleased at her new found friendship._


	14. Chapter 13

"Man, what I wouldn't give to stretch my legs!" Sora yawned. Shuffling towards the rear of the ship accompanied by a rather obnoxious yawn announced the end of the brunette's long nap (and the ship's pleasant silence). "How much further until the next stop?"

"According to the map, at the speed we're going we'll be lucky to make it there in another hour or so," Azami said. She pulled up said map as a visual for the ever curious brunette.

"Any ideas on where we're headed?" the brunette asked. He peered over the girl's shoulder to get a better view of the map but found the image he was looking at to be blurred.

"I can't say for sure," Azami admitted. She squinted her eyes to get a better look at the image but shook her head when she couldn't decipher the location. "I'm not familiar with the coordinates and the picture is too hazy to make out any details." From behind her, Sora shrugged his shoulders and threw his arms behind his head in his careless fashion.

"Guess we'll just find out when we get there," he said. Azami nodded her head in agreement before casting her gaze around the ship.

Her other three companions were sound asleep towards the rear of the ship. Donald and Goofy's snoring could be heard easily from where she sat in the front most seat while Riku's slight drooling brought a laugh to her lips. Sora smiled lightly at the sound.

"You handled yourself pretty well back there," Sora complimented. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you were a natural Heartless slayer!" The brunette plopped down in the copilot's seat across from Azami and offered her a goofy smile.

Despite the obvious joking in the boy's tone, Azami's smile faltered slightly, her hand automatically reaching for the locket tucked beneath her clothing. The girl rubbed her thumb across the smooth surface of the jewelry to offer herself some comfort, a gesture not lost on the Keyblade master.

"What's that you got there?" he asked, curiously. The boy was surprised to see the girl flinch slightly at his harmless enquiry. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to!"He was quick to add.

Azami softly shook her head, her bangs effectively shielding her eyes from view. She smiled almost grimly as she dropped the locket back beneath the folds of her clothes. "It was a locket from a woman I barely remember. It's the only thing I have left proving that at one point in time I wasn't a monster, that someone loved me."

Sora opened his mouth to reply but found no words. Stupidly, he closed his mouth and silently cursed his persistent curiosity.

"You don't have to be sorry you asked," Azami reassured. "If I didn't want to talk about it I would have said so. I realize that by asking questions like that you are only trying to get to know me better; excuse me if I suddenly drop off like that, it's just been a while since I've opened up to anyone about such things." The blue haired girl smiled softly at the solemn brunette.

Sora quickly waved the apology away and offered the girl a smile of his own, full of cheer. "Hey, there's no need to apologize! Sometimes the past can be hard but talking about it with a friend can help ease that pain, ya know?"Azami felt her eyes widen in surprise at the brunette's words.

"Friend?" She tried the word on her tongue, tasting it to see how it felt coming out of her mouth. She rarely used the word, and admittedly vaguely knew what it stood for. Sora's smile widened, if that was even possible, pleased by the girl's surprised reaction.

"Of course! Who else would risk their life for another but a friend?" Dumbly, Azami nodded her head in agreement, a little shocked but very much pleased at her new found friendship.

Beeping from the monitor immediately ended the tender moment and shook the others from their sleep. Turning her attention towards the noise, Azami saw that the readers had picked up on the next world: a beautifully sculpted coliseum complete with two large, golden gladiator statues with their swords locked in battle acting as gates. What the coliseum didn't touch the sand that made up the world covered, rolling off the world's edge by the tons.

Azami maneuvered the ship to where they were coming in for a slow, gentle landing, taking in her surrounding with silent awe. "What is this place?" she softly breathed.

"It's the coliseum," Sora explained. His face was eagerly pressed against the front window pane as more of the world came into view the lower the ship sank.

"Where the heroes come to train!" Donald exclaimed. He too had somehow managed to make his way to the front of the ship and was fighting with Sora over a view of the new world.

"It sure will be nice to see Philoctetes again," Goofy said.

"Philoctetes?" Azami asked, pulling the ship into park. She flipped the switch for the landing gear to lower. Almost immediately a gust of sand blew into the ship, covering everything it could reach in a faint cloud of gold. The hot afternoon sun was quick to follow.

"Phil for short," Donald corrected. He and Sora were quick to detach themselves from the window and were racing for the door, determined to be the first out. In his haste, the brunette grabbed Azami's wrist and dragged her along firmly, ignoring her surprised protests.

"He's the trainer of heroes!" Sora explained further. Azami had only a second to shoot Goofy and Riku a pleading glance before being forced off the gummi ship and into the scorching sun of the coliseum.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Preview: <em>**

**_"...I want to see how strong you three say you've gotten. Let me round up some contenders and see how much 'training' you've actually kept up with."_**


	15. Chapter 14

The coliseum was just as spectacular on the inside. Tall, marble pillars held the arched ceiling up and many statutes were decorated here and there, statues with names such as Odysseus, Perseus, and Theseus. She strolled from statue to statue, observing each hero as depicted in stone before she bumped into something that stood as tall as her waist.

"Hey, watch where you're – well hel-lo," a brass male voice greeted. The voice had an odd twang to it that alerted the girl to the fact that the figure in which she had ran into wasn't entirely human. Azami regarded the creature before her with shock, having never met anything like him before in her entire life.

What she first noticed were the brown goat horns sprouting out the top of his mostly bald head. She didn't mean to stare at them but the odd spectacle wasn't something she ran across every day. When she was finally able to tear her eyes away from his horns she took in his round, slightly pudgy face. His beady black eyes stared into her own almost provocatively and, given any other time, the girl would have felt some form of disgust but only find his attempt amusing. Altogether his face wasn't much to look at: a thin uni-brow and a curly goatee with a five o'clock shadow were the most prominent features, if one over looked his pink bulbous nose. No, his face wasn't one to marvel at but the rest of him… the lower body of his body was that of a goat with orange fur and brown hooves while his upper body was that of a short man with an enormous gut and some hair on his chest and arms. Azami began to think that she was just imagining the strange being when Sora's voice cut through her reverie.

"Phil!" The brunette bumped fists with the half goat, half man and smiled widely. "Long time no see!"

"Sora, Goofy, Donald!" the creature known as Phil exclaimed. "Aren't you three a sight for sore eyes! Have you been keeping up with your training?" The three eagerly nodded their heads.

"We're much stronger than the last time we met!" Donald boasted. The goat man chuckled before shaking his head.

"You sure about that?"

"Wanna see us in action?" Sora asked; keen to show off his power. Phil grinned in anticipation.

"Now you're talking! I can set a match up for you in no time, but first," the plump trainer gestured to Azami and Riku who had stood off to the side to allow the four to catch up, "who are your friends?"

"This is Azami and Riku," Goofy introduced, pointing to each teen respectively. "They're helping us on our new mission!"

"More Heartless, huh?" Phil asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Too bad Hercules isn't around, he'd be glad to lend a hand to the fight."

The brunette threw his arms behind his head and looked around the coliseum, regarding it curiously. "Where is the hero anyway?" Phi waved the question away before turning his back on the group.

"Off slaying monsters in neighboring lands, rescuing damsels in distress, the usual hero stuff; anyway, you shouldn't worry about him too much, that kid can handle his own. You three on the other hand…" The trainer trailed off, thinking it better not to say anything that would offend them.

"What's that supposed to mean!" Donald snapped. Once again, Phil waved the matter away.

"That's not important, right now I want to see how strong you three say you've gotten. Let me round up some contenders and see how much 'training' you've actually kept up with." The goat man excused himself to go arrange a fight, leaving the group to marvel at the coliseum once more.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Preview: <em>**

**_"You said you've been training, I don't see it!" Phil goaded loudly. He ran his pudgy hand across his scalp and sighed noisily. The trainer watched as Sora was knocked from his feet by the Wight Knight. "This is pathetic! You two, get in there and help them."_**

**_ Riku smirked, anxious to show up his childhood friend, and called forth his Keyblade. Azami followed close behind him into the ring._**


	16. Chapter 15

Heartless were never in short supply around the coliseum. All of them were eager to test their strength against beings with plump, juicy hearts and more often than not they walked away with bellies full. But then there were those other times…

Sora cut through another lower class Heartless, his Keyblade breaking apart it's dark skin with ease. When the creature disappeared in a shroud of shadows, it's captured heart released, the brunette turned and offered his audience a wide smile.

"Is that all you got, Phil?" the boy laughed, throwing his weapon across his shoulder. "I can do this with one hand tied behind my back!" The boy regarded the smug male with a humorless smirk.

"Rule number one to combat! Never turn your back on your enemy!" A loud roar erupted from behind the boy, causing him to turn and stare wide-eyed at the charging Large Body heartless. He had little time to do anything except block, so gritting his teeth; he held his Keyblade out in a defense and steeled his stance.

And it was just as the Heartless was upon him that it disappeared in a burst of flames and shadows, leaving a very surprised Sora in its wake. The boy watched in dazed wonderment as the heart within the monster floated into the atmosphere free at last

"Sora, pay attention!" the irritated quack of the royal wizard snapped. The duck spun away from his distracted comrade and fired off a round of blizzard flurries at an unsuspecting group of Shadows before locking weapons with a Wight Knight. From the sidelines, Phil, Riku, and Azami watched on in amusement.

"You said you've been training, I don't see it!" Phil goaded loudly. He ran his pudgy hand across his scalp and sighed noisily. The trainer watched as Sora was knocked from his feet by the Wight Knight. "This is pathetic! You two, get in there and help them."

Riku smirked, anxious to show up his childhood friend, and called forth his Keyblade. Azami followed close behind him into the ring.

With the prospect of more hearts to claim, the Heartless quickly doubled in numbers and within seconds Azami and Riku had their own enemies to deal with.

"Losing your touch, Sora? You used to be able to handle a lot more of these guys than this!" Riku teased. The silver haired teen cut down a group of dancing Soldiers with one swipe of his Keyblade before turning to cut down more unfortunate souls that were jumping eagerly towards him.

"Maybe if you weren't blinding me with that head of white I'd have a better chance!" Sora retorted. He pushed a chattering Shadow away from his face and in one swipe cut down the over eager monster. Riku laughed under his breath as he pivoted on his heel and brought his Keyblade up to block a Soldier's claw.

He brought his foot up and sent it smashing into the Heartless's chest. "You should be thanking me! This blinding head of white is keeping most of the Heartless away from you. I think you should be a little more grateful!"

"Like I need your help!" Sora snapped.

By this time the two boys had cleared a large area around them, earning a moment's reprieve from the fight. .Using this time to their advantage, they turned to seize the other up, a challenging glint in both pair of eyes.

Riku opened his mouth to ramble off his next jeer when the loud quack of Donald brought the two boys' attention away from each other.

"Look out!"

It appeared that a sneaky soldier had managed to break through the defense of Goofy and Donald and had crossed the small distance towards the two bickering boys. The little monster was too close for either to attack without hurting their comrade but if they didn't act swiftly the two would surrender their hearts to the Heartless.

Before either could raise any kind of defense, they were pulled back by a strong force. The strength behind the force knocked them off their feet and onto their backsides. Side by side the two boys stared wide-eyed as the small, strong form of Azami reduced the Soldier to wisps of darkness with a subtle flick of the wrist. She turned to regard the two with a dull stare.

"Boys, you're both pretty, now can we finish this, please?" Azami asked. She rushed off to assist Donald and Goofy before either boy had a chance to answer.

"You know I could have taken care of it if she hadn't steeped in," Sora mumbled lamely. Beside the brunette, Riku scoffed loudly.

He staggered to his feet and offered a hand to the pouting boy. "She was just lucky," he agreed.

"What are you two doing? Get your heads in the game!" Phil shouted at the two. The small goat gave the two teens a glare that had them scrambling to rejoin the fight.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Preview: <strong>_

_**"….I have two words for you: practice! And until you have that down packed I don't want to see any of your faces!" The infuriated Phil turned on his hooves and stomped away without another word, leaving the five to look amongst themselves for answers.**_

Heartless were never in short supply around the coliseum. All of them were eager to test their strength against beings with plump, juicy hearts and more often than not they walked away with bellies full. But then there were those other times…

Sora cut through another lower class Heartless, his Keyblade breaking apart it's dark skin with ease. When the creature disappeared in a shroud of shadows, it's captured heart released, the brunette turned and offered his audience a wide smile.

"Is that all you got, Phil?" the boy laughed, throwing his weapon across his shoulder. "I can do this with one hand tied behind my back!" The boy regarded the smug male with a humorless smirk.

"Rule number one to combat! Never turn your back on your enemy!" A loud roar erupted from behind the boy, causing him to turn and stare wide-eyed at the charging Large Body heartless. He had little time to do anything except block, so gritting his teeth; he held his Keyblade out in a defense and steeled his stance.

And it was just as the Heartless was upon him that it disappeared in a burst of flames and shadows, leaving a very surprised Sora in its wake. The boy watched in dazed wonderment as the heart within the monster floated into the atmosphere free at last

"Sora, pay attention!" the irritated quack of the royal wizard snapped. The duck spun away from his distracted comrade and fired off a round of blizzard flurries at an unsuspecting group of Shadows before locking weapons with a Wight Knight. From the sidelines, Phil, Riku, and Azami watched on in amusement.

"You said you've been training, I don't see it!" Phil goaded loudly. He ran his pudgy hand across his scalp and sighed noisily. The trainer watched as Sora was knocked from his feet by the Wight Knight. "This is pathetic! You two, get in there and help them."

Riku smirked, anxious to show up his childhood friend, and called forth his Keyblade. Azami followed close behind him into the ring.

With the prospect of more hearts to claim, the Heartless quickly doubled in numbers and within seconds Azami and Riku had their own enemies to deal with.

"Losing your touch, Sora? You used to be able to handle a lot more of these guys than this!" Riku teased. The silver haired teen cut down a group of dancing Soldiers with one swipe of his Keyblade before turning to cut down more unfortunate souls that were jumping eagerly towards him.

"Maybe if you weren't blinding me with that head of white I'd have a better chance!" Sora retorted. He pushed a chattering Shadow away from his face and in one swipe cut down the over eager monster. Riku laughed under his breath as he pivoted on his heel and brought his Keyblade up to block a Soldier's claw.

He brought his foot up and sent it smashing into the Heartless's chest. "You should be thanking me! This blinding head of white is keeping most of the Heartless away from you. I think you should be a little more grateful!"

"Like


	17. Chapter 17

"That was some of the **worst **team work I have ever seen!" Phil shouted. "I have seen fighters with half your experience fight better together!" The small centaur stalked angrily back and forth before the panting forms of Sora and the others. Every once and a while he would shoot the group a look of disgust, but he mostly avoided their general direction.

"It's all Sora's and Riku's fault!" Donald griped. The grumbling magician had taken most of the damage throughout the fight, what with him being the weakest physically. He would used up the majority of his magic on healing the overzealous brunette and silver headed boy and not have enough magic to defend himself against attacks. Sometimes he was saved from said attacks by his long time friend, Goofy but more often than not the Captain of the Guard was busy with his own bunch of Heartless and wasn't always available to come to his friend's rescue.

"What!" Sora shouted in protest. The boy had fared better than his magically talented friend but because he wielded the Keyblade many of the Heartless trained their sights on him. His muscles ached from the continuous swings and blocks he was forced to use and his legs burned from the constant moving to avoid being another Heartless statistic.

"Maybe if Riku knew how to cover my back I wouldn't have needed Donald to heal me as much!"

The accused teen scoffed loudly. His muscles ached just as much, if not more so, than his friend's. The Heartless weren't the only thing he had to defend against, Sora's sloppy swings more often than not found a way to get a little too close to the boy's body. "Maybe if you knew how to handle that Keyblade of yours properly I could have covered you!"

"ENOUGH!" Phil shouted he pinned the bickering trio with a nonnegotiable glare before continuing his lecture. "I shouldn't have to tell you all this but when you fight as a team the blame cannot be placed on one person. Each one of you has a unique way of fighting and it is your job as a team to adapt to that style! I have two words for you: practice! And until you have that down packed I don't want to see any of your faces!" The infuriated Phil turned on his hooves and stomped away without another word, leaving the five to look amongst themselves for answers.

"Is this how he always is?" Azami asked curiously.

Goofy shook his head. "Gwarsh, it looks like we really made Phil mad! Maybe someone should go and talk to him?"

"You heard him, Goofy," Riku said, turning his back on the group, "He doesn't want to see us again until we can work together as a team. We should get going." The boy stalked away towards the ship without another word.

"Riku's right," Sora agreed. "Let's give Phil some time to cool off. In the mean time there are other worlds who need our help and while we're helping them we can be building on our team work!"

Phil turned his head slightly to watch the small group head towards the coliseum exit. He knew they had potential but fighting together as a team took time and effort. He was confident they would get it in time but for now he had a coliseum to run and they had other worlds to visit.

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><p><em><strong>Preview: <strong>_

_**Not many people strike the young girl as fearsome, but the man standing before her was one to be feared. She was well aware of what he was capable of doing and was none too eager to anger him.**_


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